Kate Middleton forced to turn down royal fan’s request to avoid breaking major royal protocol

Kate Middleton firmly avoided breaking royal protocol during a recent trip to Powys, Wales, with her husband, Prince William.

Last Thursday (26 February), the Prince, 43, and Princess of Wales, 44, visited the county ahead of St. David's Day, the national day of Wales, honouring its patron saint, Dewi Sant.

During their visit, they made an unscheduled stop to meet well-wishers who were standing in heavy rain to catch a glimpse of the royal couple in the town of Llanidloes.

Kate and William also visited the Hanging Gardens, a community hub focused on resilience and creativity, and arrived at the venue to cheers from crowds who had gathered outside despite the downpour, many of whom were waving Welsh flags and holding bunches of daffodils.

They spent 25 minutes speaking to fans in the heavy rain, chatting to people, including children who handed them bunches of flowers and pictures they had drawn, before going on to visit the Oriel Davies, an art gallery in Newtown.

During the royal engagement, the Princess got chatting with a man who asked her to sign an autograph.

But, because this is against royal protocol, Kate had to apologetically refuse and instead offered to shake the man's hand.

Kate and William spent time in Wales last week ahead of St. David's Day (Mark Cuthbert/Getty Images)

Video footage shared by Hello! Magazine shows Kate saying: "I can't sign things, I'm so sorry. I can shake your hand, though."

The fan didn't seem too disheartened and appeared happy enough to be speaking to the royal, before their handshake actually turned into a quick hug, before Kate moved on to chat to others who were waiting.

It's true that the Royal Family isn't supposed to sign autographs, mainly because there is a worry that their signatures could be forged.

They also generally aren't supposed to take selfies, either, because it means members of the public would be turning their back on them and being in close proximity to them, which could create a security concern.

However, this rule has faded with time, and Kate and William have particularly been known to bend this rule on multiple occasions.

During their Wales outing, Kate gave high-fives and hugs, while both she and William posed for pictures and selfies with people.

It's not the first time the Princess of Wales has had to explain the autograph rule, though, as something similar occurred back in 2023, according to Town&Country Magazine.

The Princess had to turn down signing autographs as it's against royal protocol (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Kate was meeting children at the Chelsea Flower Show and was asked if she could sign her name, to which she replied: "I can't write my name, but I can draw," before offering to scribble a tree, flower, or plant.

She told another child, "My name's Catherine. I'm not allowed to write my signature; it's just one of those rules."

Yesterday (1 March), Kate and William officially celebrated St. David's Day as Kensington Palace shared a special video message from the pair.

In the video message, which was recorded earlier this week on the Windsor estate and is spoken entirely in Welsh, Kate and William are wearing daffodils on their lapels - the national flower of Wales.

The prince says: "To everyone in Wales, a very Happy St David’s Day!" before Kate adds: “Wales is very close to our hearts, and we look forward to every visit.

"It is a beautiful country, with a rich history and wonderful people. Wishing you a day full of celebration with family and friends.”