Controversial reason the Royal Family are 'banned' from celebrating Halloween
Halloween is right around the corner, with thousands of Brits expected to take to the streets and host parties in fancy dress inspired by Nikki from Obsession to Allie Hayes’ JLo look from Off Campus.
The jaw-dropping Kylie Jenner Victoria's Secret fashion show look is expected to be a last-minute moment, as is recreating Margo Robbie’s wedding dress in Wuthering Heights.
While celebrities, including the ‘queen of Halloween’ Heidi Klum, are expected to go all out, it is unlikely that you’ll see the royal family celebrating the iconic holiday this October.
While George, Prince of Wales, may have a spooky-themed week at Eton College, you probably won’t see his father—William, Prince of Wales—or his mother, Catherine, Princess of Wales, stepping out in matching costumes.
Expert explains why royals don’t ‘do’ Halloween
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Some accounts attribute the Royals’ supposed reluctance to celebrate Halloween back to Queen Victoria’s emphasis on dignity, decorum and respectability.
Royal etiquette expert Laura Windsor exclusively told Tyla that Victoria helped establish a code of conduct requiring royals to maintain class and behave ‘properly’ in the public eye.
Due to the ‘restraint’ the famous family must show, plus discipline and order, you won’t spot the heir to the British throne donning fake fangs.
“Against that backdrop, knocking on strangers' doors in costume was never going to be seen as dignified public behaviour for the Royals,” Windsor confessed.
She continued, confirming that unlike Remembrance Day and Christmas, Halloween had ‘no formal place in the royal calendar’.
“It is not Trooping the Colour, Remembrance Sunday or the State Opening of Parliament. They may well allow their children to enjoy it, with a little dressing up and trick-or-treating, but that is a family matter and it stays private. There would be no photographs and no cameras around.”
The commentator said the family’s choice not to participate in Halloween is probably not because it ‘conflicts with their public religious responsibilities’.
Instead, it may be because of the stark ‘line between public life and private life’.
“Royals can take part in seasonal traditions, but they do not publicise them, and they would not appear at a Halloween party as a public engagement. Decorum lies at the heart of their public lives, whereas family life belongs behind closed doors,” she confirmed.
If you ever see the royals wearing a costume, it would be at an ‘official public engagement’ where it would be ‘appropriate to the theme or purpose of the event’, she said.
“Official engagements are more formal and may involve diplomatic protocol, government representatives or visiting dignitaries, so the expectations around dress and conduct are much stricter,” Windsor added.
Warning on Halloween makeup
While you won’t be able to glean any Halloween inspiration from the royals this year, you can take a leaf out of a dermatologist's book when it comes to using fake blood.
Makeup artist Gen Waring, founder of Waring Makeup, told Tyla that you should pay a little bit more for makeup at Halloween if you want to avoid skin and hair staining.
“Sometimes cheaper cosmetics might not perform accurately. In terms of quality and longevity, the makeup might not last as long as a high-quality, professional-grade product would,” she explained.
“If you’re really worried about your makeup looking good for a longer event, like not cracking or flaking off, this is when you would want to spend a little more for the staple brands like Kryolan and Mehron.”
She added that anyone wanting to dress up as Carrie for Halloween should research brands they are unfamiliar with to make sure they are following ‘proper safety standards when it comes to formulating their makeup’.
“There have been some recent stories of products substituting ingredients with unsafe materials,” the expert added.
Topics: Royal Family, Prince William, Halloween
Ella Scott