

Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Miranda Holder, royal style expert, speaking on TikTok: “Have you ever wondered why Kate Middleton looks so stunning in her photographs?”
This writer, no makeup on and sipping coffee: “Pretty much daily.”
Holder: “Because she does—every single time.”
It’s true: Kate rarely, if ever, photographs badly. But, according to Holder, there’s a trick behind that, and the London-based expert is filling us in on how we, too, can take better photos.
“The Duchess of Cambridge has had some media training, and I’m going to share a cheeky little style hack that she uses,” she says, per The Sun. “She has simply been trained to always keep her chin parallel to the ground. She doesn’t tilt it down, she doesn’t tilt it up—and that ensures a flattering photograph every single time.”
*immediately starts practicing*
After her clip went viral, Holder came back to answer criticism that Kate always photographs well because she’s “stunning to begin with,” according to The Sun. But Holder stood firm.
“And a whole load of you have come back saying ‘No, it’s just because she’s good-looking, and she’s wealthy and she’s got stylists.' That’s not true.”
Holder says even the most traditionally beautiful among us can photograph poorly.
“So I can tell you from years of working with supermodels, celebrities, and models, that you can be the most gorgeous person in the world and still get a horrific photograph,” she says. “So it really is all about your relationship to the camera and where you place your jaw. If it’s too low, it’s not good. If it’s too high—definitely not good. We don’t want to see your nostrils.”
Time to go road test this one.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

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.
-
Ava Phillippe Wears Ethereal White to Stella McCartney’s Paris Fashion Week Show
She added a clutch and snakeskin sandals to complete the look.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Zendaya Wows at Louis Vuitton’s Paris Fashion Week Show in a Double-Zipper Dress by the Label
She has been an ambassador for the brand since earlier this year.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
There’s a Way for King Charles to “Bring His Family Back Together Again”—But It Might Cause Controversy
He will have to make a decision relatively soon on the matter.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
The Princess of Wales “Doesn’t Even Recognize This Person Harry’s Become”
Once close, Kate feels betrayed by her brother-in-law’s actions as of late.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
The Palace “Does Not Love" That Prince Harry Leaked Meghan Markle’s Texts with Kate Middleton
“It’s egregious of Harry to publish these abbreviated excerpts.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Royal Tailor Breaks Silence on the Infamous Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle Bridesmaid’s Dress Drama
“All six bridesmaids’ dresses had to be fixed, and we did it.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla Wanted Catherine to Change the Spelling of Her Name Because There Were Already Too Many “C” Names in the Royal Family
That’s just one of many mentions the Princess of Wales gets in Prince Harry’s memoir.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Kate Middleton Was Left “In Floods of Tears” After Prince William Abruptly Canceled Their New Year’s Plans
A book claims she was reportedly left “fearing for the future of their relationship.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Kate Middleton’s Eclectic 2000s Style is Now a TikTok Trend
“Once a fashion icon, always a fashion icon.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
The Prince and Princess of Wales Have Adopted “the Middleton Parenting Model” and Want Their Kids to Become Their “Best Friends” One Day
Like the Wales trio, Kate’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton also had three children.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Prince William, Kate Middleton and the Kids Are Low-Key in Matching Denim for Their 2022 Christmas Card
The photograph was taken outside their home in Norfolk.
By The Editors