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    Why Princess Kate "Raised Some Eyebrows" With One Particular Action During Her Italy Visit

    Critics claimed the move might "be seen as unlucky or dirty."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 14 May 2026 In News

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    Kate Middleton carries a new powder blue Asprey bag during her visit to Italy
    (Image credit: Getty Images/Karwai Tang/WireImage)
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    Princess Kate's solo visit to Reggio Emilia, Italy appears to have been a resounding success. From getting her hands dirty with creatures and critters to recycling closet items to create brand new ensembles, the Princess of Wales has made quite the impact on royal fans. In fact, one Italian even declared that Princess Kate had "replaced Diana in people's affections." But did the beloved royal also make one major misstep during her Italy visit, too?

    For her arrival in Italy, Princess Kate wore a trendy summer suit in a striking shade of blue. Importantly, the Princess of Wales's brand new Asprey London 167 Mini Bag perfectly matched her suit and caught everyone's attention. As a result, when the royal bent down to speak to a group of children and placed her delicate bag on the ground, some onlookers were allegedly horrified.

    As reported by Hello! magazine, "[I]t was what [Kate] decided to do with her bag that could raise some eyebrows. Kate carefully lowered her brand new Asprey in powder blue hue to the floor, on the ground outside of the Reggio Emilia Town Hall."

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    Kate Middleton carries a new powder blue Asprey bag during her visit to Italy

    Princess Kate placed her Asprey bag on the ground to speak to some children.

    (Image credit: Getty Images/Karwai Tang/WireImage)

    The outlet continued, "This action was likely...so she could use both hands to gesture to the kids but for many etiquette experts this could be considered a faux pas or a taboo move, because it can be seen as unlucky or also dirty." The fact that the bag costs thousands of dollars adds another layer to the question of whether or not Princess Kate committed a fashion "faux pas," per the publication.

    Kate Middleton carries a new powder blue Asprey bag during her visit to Italy

    Some critics have questioned Princess Kate's decision to place her bag on the ground.

    (Image credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)

    Kate Middleton carries a new powder blue Asprey bag during her visit to Italy

    Princess Kate speaks to children following her arrival in Italy.

    (Image credit: Getty Images/Samir Hussein/WireImage)

    Ultimately, as Princess Kate placed her bag on the ground for a very good reason—so she could speak to a group of children without distraction—it's likely she'll be forgiven for any alleged etiquette missteps she may have made.

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    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

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