While great fanfare exists over the Princess of Wales’ clothing and accessories and any special ornaments or trinkets she may wear, there’s also major interest in her tattoos. Are royal women allowed to get tattoos and does the future Queen have any body ink?
There is great popularity in the process of getting a tattoo, displaying the work on social media and wearing a symbol on the skin. Over 1/3rd of Americans and 1/4 of the British public have body art. In recent years, tattoos have become a popular form of creativity and self-expression.
While the Art History grad likely admires and appreciates the art of tattoos, she is believed to be averse to bodily artistic expression. In fact, the Telegraph reported that in his mid-20s while serving naval duty, Prince William was keen to go under the needle for a large David Beckham-like tattoo of an angel on his mid-back but was hesitant as he thought his girlfriend might not approve (telling his shipmates he thought she might consider the move a “bit too chavvy.”)
During a deployment at sea on the HMS Iron Duke, William told his fellow sailors he was curious about the art and process of tattooing. According to sources at the Sun, William inquired about the procedure. “It was obvious William was fascinated. He asked how painful it was and wanted to know what they thought of his idea for a tattoo across his shoulders.”
Interestingly, William was later encouraged in 2018 to get a permanent design on his person. Prior to traveling to Jerusalem, the heir to the throne received demands to get body ink.
The prince was encouraged to keep up with royal tradition as three of his ancestors got inked for their trips to the Holy Land. All three of the British princes who traveled to Israel including: Edward VII, George V as well as Prince Albert, the Duke of Clarence, got tattoos from the same parlor which is still in business today — the family-run Razzouk Tattoo studio.
Does Princess Kate have any Tattoos?
So, does the Princess of Wales have any tattoos? Despite what TiKTok may say, there’s no evidence the Princess of Wales has any tattoos.
The mom of three did receive a henna tattoo on royal duty for a visit to Sunderland in northeast England in February 2018. At the Fire Station Arts Centre, Kate was given a design of a black flower with a swirl by then 18-year-old Shajida Begum.
As henna tattoos are red or brown dyes made of natural materials from the dried leaves of the henna shrub, they are merely temporary and wash off within a few days. (In the United States, the FDA has only approved henna for use in hair dye while in the UK black henna is illegal.) Henna tattoos typically last between 1 to 3 weeks and fade over time.
Other royal ladies have also sported henna designs. The Duchess of Sussex received a henna tattoo to celebrate her pregnancy in February 2019 by a 17-year-old student in Morocco.
Royal women are not forbidden from getting body art. Princess Eugenie has a small black circle ‘primal symbol’ tattoo near her ear which was recently revealed at the Service of Thanksgiving in 2022. While other royal women like Princess Sofia of Sweden have ink on their back (sunburst tattoo) and ankle. Even Lady Amelia Windsor (43rd in line of succession to the British throne) has a tiger tattoo on her upper back.
So, what designs might the Princess of Wales have done if she was going to think of getting a tattoo?
Acorns
First, the princess may consider an acorn tattoo as the oaknut has special symbolic significance for the Middleton family. Kate’s hometown of West Berkshire, England is filled with wooded oak tress; the seeds are seen on the Middleton family coat of arms and Kate’s special crest. In addition, Kate has worn acorn earrings (a gift from her parents on her wedding day) and has a special acorn brooch in her jewelry collection.
She also owns a wooland charm necklace by Asprey London and a gold acorn necklace by Kristin Magnusson (seen at Wimbledon 2012).
Letters
The princess often wears jewelry with pendants emblazoned with the initials of her children’s names so it would be no surprise if she opted for a letter or alphabet tattoo.
Leaves or Ferns
Kate is fond of leaves and has worn her Catherine Zoraida leaf earrings and Asprey Oak Leaf Hoops on repeat. She and Prince William are also passionate environmental conservationists so it wouldn’t be surprising if she wanted a small leaf design for her first tattoo.
Crown
If the princess was in a playful mood, she may opt to go for a small crown design on her ankle, shoulder or inner wrist.