Princess Kate Reportedly Carries These Four Items in Her Enviable Collection of Handbags

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published 15 April 2024

From Mulberry to Strathberry to Aspinal of London, the Princess of Wales is known to carry chic handbags and clutches. While not on the iconic level of the late Queen Elizabeth, Kate’s stylish taste extends to what she’s carrying on her arm—and a royal author is giving us insight into what’s inside.

Apparently Kate only carries four items in her handbag—not totally surprising, considering she switches them out frequently and has aides on hand to carry anything she may have forgotten or may be too big for the delicate, smaller purses Kate favors.

Kate, The Mirror writes, “is well-known for her fashionable looks and enviable handbag collection, but when it comes to what she keeps inside her stylish bags, she opts for the practical.”

According to royal author Marcia Moody in her book Kate: A Biography, a handbag necessity for the Princess of Wales is blotting paper, “a nifty tool that helps you stay shine-free whilst you are on the go and unable to cleanse any sweat or oil properly,” The Mirror reports. There is always a camera permanently positioned on Kate, so these blotting papers help her do a quick touch-up before arriving at an event, Moody said.

To that end, Kate also apparently always has a compact mirror on hand—a staple in most purses. The third item “that the princess never reportedly goes without is another essential—the humble but mighty lip balm,” The Mirror reports. The fourth and final item? Again, relatable and practical—a handkerchief, “ensuring that she isn’t caught out by a rogue sneezing fit,” The Mirror continues. “And whether you go for a cloth handkerchief or a handy pack of disposable tissues, it’s something most people have tucked away in their handbags.”

As Marie Claire reported on back in 2022 prior to her death that September, Her late Majesty’s purse contents trended towards the sentimental (though surely the practical, too): she carried a photo of herself and her late husband, Prince Philip, as newlyweds, as well as a white Kent & Haste handkerchief that once belonged to him. During his long life, the late Duke of Edinburgh used to fold his handkerchiefs into squares in a classic style and put them in his breast pocket, and carrying one no doubt reminded Queen Elizabeth of him even after his death in April 2021, just 17 months before her own.

Queen Elizabeth and Queen Camilla together — Where there was Queen Elizabeth, there was her iconic purse.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.

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