How to Act and Look Like Royalty

Co-authored by Tami Claytor

Last Updated: December 21, 2022 References

Princesses and princes are poised, charming, and fashionable individuals. These royal role models inspire women and men around the globe to look and act like ladies and lords. While few commoners will marry into the royal family, that doesn’t mean you can’t act as regal as Duchess Catherine or as stately as Prince William.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Mastering the Regal Posture and Gait of a Princess

1
Work on standing like a lady. As part of their public duties, members of the royal family are required to attend galas and events. During these outings, the royals must stand with excellent posture for hours. Once you have perfected your posture, you will emanate a regal air.
- Bring your heels together and turn out your toes. (This is first position in ballet).
- Slide one heel along the inner edge of your foot until it reaches the arch. (This is third position in ballet).
- Tuck in your stomach, pull your shoulders back, and lift your head up.^{[1]
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2
Learn to sit like a princess. In an effort to avoid compromising and embarrassing situations, the royals have perfected the art of sitting properly. To practice this skill:
- Stand with your back to the chair.
- Back up to the chair so that your calves hit the edge of the seat. This will prevent you from missing the chair completely.
- Bend your knees as you lower your bottom onto the edge of the seat.
- Keep your knees together and slide to the back of the chair.
- Slide your feet to one side. Tuck one ankle under the other ankle. This will prevent you from accidentally flashing anyone.
- To stand, lean forward, gracefully lift yourself up, and return your feet to third position.^{[2]
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3
Walk like a princess. Princesses don’t walk, they glide. While their stride appears natural and effortless, it is actually quite technical and challenging to master.
- Place all of your weight on your back foot.
- As you step forward with your back foot, your heel should brush the instep of your front foot. Your stride should be approximately half a foot length.
- Land on your heel, roll through your instep, and end with the weight on your toes.
- Repeat.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Executing a Princely Walk and Posture

1
Stand like a gentleman. Like princesses, princes are required to stand for hours at public outings. While at these events, or in the public eye, their posture must be impeccable.
- Stand with your heels together and your weight evenly distributed on both feet.
- Turn your toes out at a slight angle.
- Keep your knees together.
- Allow one arm to hang naturally at your side; bend the other arm slightly at your side.
- Bring your head and neck forward slightly.^{[4]
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2
Learn to sit like a prince. Lower yourself gracefully into your seat. Set your feet flat on the ground. Bend your knees and keep them together—do not cross your legs. Rest your hands atop one knee. Sit up straight in your chair—do not slouch backwards or lean forwards. When it is time to stand, raise yourself slowly from your seat.^{[5]
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3
Walk with authority. When a prince walks, he strides with decorum and a purpose. As you step forwards, place each foot gently, yet firmly on the ground to avoid stomping. Allow your arms to follow the cadence of your stride. Keep your body and head facing forwards at all times—a gentleman does not twist his body.
- Whenever possible, avoid walking in a frantic rush.^{[6]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Presenting Yourself as a Princess

1
Dress with fashionable conservatism. Princesses are fashion icons—they are celebrated for their chic, classic, and conservative style of dress. With a little effort and creativity, you can imitate their fashion forward, yet prim and proper, looks.
- Princesses don’t expose a lot of skin. Make sure the hemlines of your dresses and skirts hit just above your knees. Cover up your arms, chest, midriff, and back.
- Princesses invest in high-quality staple pieces that never go out of style. Splurge on a trench coat, a skirt suit, a black blazer, a white blouse, and closed toe shoes.
- Mix high-end and low-end pieces of clothing and jewelry, like Duchess Kate. This will make your outfits unique and more accessible to others.
- Princesses don’t pile on the jewelry. Limit yourself to two pieces of jewelry.
- For casual occasions, wear a pair of straight legged jeans, a blazer over a basic top, and pumps or flats. Accessorize with a scarf, simple jewelry, and a clutch.
- On formal occasions, wear a skirt suit or a coat dress. Accessorize the look with a bold hat, pumps, and simple jewelry.
- For special events, wear a simple evening gown in a bold color. Add bling to your look with brilliant jewels.^{[7]
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2
Apply natural makeup. Princesses enhance their beautiful features with natural looking makeup. For special occasions, they amp up the drama with a bold eye or a daring lip. To achieve their effortless and simple look:.
- Apply a matte foundation and concealer.
- Define your brows with a filler.
- Create a soft charcoal smoky eye.
- Line your eyes with liquid liner.
- Coat your lashes with several layers of black mascara.
- Apply a rose blush to the apples of your cheeks and a complementary color to your lips.^{[8]
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3
Perfect the princess blowout. In addition to their striking good looks, royals also have incredible hair. To achieve their enviable locks, princess have a team of professionals coloring, cutting, treating, and styling their hair on a daily basis.
- Treat yourself to regular blowouts at the salon.
- Get your hair professionally colored and cut.
- Curl the ends of your hair every day to create a finished, professional look.
4
Manicure your nails. Princesses have perfectly manicured nails. They often wear light, neutral colors of polish. Visit the nail salon regularly or give yourself manicures at home.
- If you don’t like colored polish, apply a clear top coat to your nails.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Dressing Like a Prince

1
Elevate your casual attire. A prince looks presentable and fashionable at all times. Even his casual wear is impeccable. For casual outings, throw on a pair of well fitting jeans or chinos. Add a button-up shirt or polo and grab a jumper for good measure. Finish off your outfit with a leather belt, a nice watch, and pair of boots, loafers, or joggers.^{[9]
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2
Wear a well tailored suit. For business or slightly more formal occasions, male members of the royal family always wear a perfectly tailored suit. Invest in a high-quality suit and splurge on the tailoring—you won’t regret it! Pair your suit with a freshly pressed shirt, complementary colored tie, and a pair of leather dress shoes.
- For an additional touch of flair, accessorize with a pocket square and cufflinks.^{[10]
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3
Embrace the morning suit. When royals attend daytime formal affairs, like weddings or horse races, they wear a morning suit. This outfit consists of a tailed morning coat, a matching waistcoat, striped trousers. This look is often accessorized with a tie, a top hat, a cane, and a pocket watch.
- Morning grey, an all grey morning suit, is a popular alternative to the traditional morning suit.^{[11]
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4
Pull out a tuxedo for special occasions. When a royal makes an appearance at a formal evening occasion, he is always dressed in black tie attire. This consists of a traditional black tuxedo and bow tie. Like their other suits, the tuxedo is tailored to perfection.
- You should always pair your tuxedo with a freshly pressed shirt that has a turned-down collar and a pleated bib.
- Elevate your look with a brilliant pair of cufflinks and a pocket square.^{[12]
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Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Behaving Like Royalty

1
Treat others with kindness and fairness. As public figures, royals are required to interact with people from every socio-economic, educational, religious, ethnic, and racial group represented in their country and abroad. They must treat everyone they meet with the same level of respect.
- Appreciate and embrace the diversity of your community.
- Treat everyone you meet as though they too are royal. Royals make everyone feel important and valued.
- Take the time to talk to people. Listen to their concerns, stories, and requests.
2
Practice humility. Members of the royal family are extremely privileged—their lineage, socio-economic status, a power affords them every opportunity and perk imaginable. A true royal, however, never flaunts their status or brags about their title. Instead, they remain humble and unassuming. You can demonstrate this character trait by:
- Celebrating the people around you and showcasing their accomplishments.
- Giving credit to those that have helped you.
- Refraining from name dropping.
- Stopping yourself from correcting others.
- Limiting the amount of time you spend talking and bragging about yourself.
3
Remain composed during irritating or embarrassing situations. Princesses and princes are expected to handle every situation with grace and poise. Instead of reacting negatively, she chooses to remain calm, collected, and positive. This conscious choice allows her to remain in control of her emotions, actions, and words. Develop your composure by:
- Overlooking minor annoyances.
- Brushing off embarrassing situations.
- Staying positive through stressful situations.
4
Consider your words and actions carefully. Since royals are high-profile individuals, their words and actions are closely scrutinized by the media and the public. To avoid a scandal, they must choose their words wisely and conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. While it is unlikely that the paparazzi will hound you, if you want to act royal, you must hold yourself to high standards.
- Be careful about what you post on social media. Avoid posting inappropriate pictures, videos, and messages.
- Think before you speak.
- Act in a respectful and dignified manner.
5
Support causes you’re passionate about. Princesses and princes are role models—their charitable deeds inspire others to to be selfless. Royals use their privilege and position to benefit those with less power. They dedicate their time, voice, and money to causes that they care about.
- Identify an issue or organization that you support. The issue could be anything, from advancing women’s rights to protecting endangered species.
- Dedicate your resources to advancing the organization’s mission. Start a social media campaign to bring attention to the issue your championing.
- Allow your actions to demonstrate what it means to be selfless.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I still have sort of a carefree spirit as a princess? I'd rather be plain, old me than look regal if I can't at least be a little bit carefree.

Community Answer

Yes. It just depends on your character.
Question

How do I know that I am a princess?

Community Answer

Unless you are descended from real-life royalty, you can't be a real-life princess. But anyone can me a pretend princess, so embrace your inner love and go ahead!
Question

How do I give a speech like a queen?

Community Answer

Adopt an accent, if appropriate. Accents almost always make you sound more sophisticated. Hold yourself very erect, and use formal language.

Warnings

Don't be snotty.

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If you're not yourself, everyone will think you're an attention seeker.

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