Kate Middleton’s Never Without These 4 Everyday Items in Her Purse: Author
What does Kate Middleton carry in her purse? The Princess of Wales reportedly takes a “practical” approach. She opts for a select few items she can reach for while out and about. Ahead, what four items the 42-year-old British royal stows in her handbag. Hint: Queen Elizabeth II and Meghan Markle have been known to carry a few of the same things, too.
What Kate Middleton keeps in her purse: blotting paper and a compact mirror
Kate, per The Mirror, “is well-known for her fashionable looks and enviable handbag collection, but when it comes to what she keeps inside her stylish bags, she opts for the practical.”
Practical, indeed. Let’s just say the mother of three doesn’t need a tote bag to accommodate her necessities. Kate keeps it streamlined. So, probably no loose change or crumpled-up receipts floating around next to her phone and keys.
Royal author Marcia Moody wrote in her book Kate: A Biography, that blotting paper is a must-have in Kate’s bag.
Per the outlet, it’s a “nifty tool that helps you stay shine-free whilst you are on the go and unable to cleanse any sweat or oil properly.”
The Duchess of Sussex reportedly carried blotting paper in her bag on her wedding day (via Glamour).
What with Kate always under the watchful eye of cameras, blotting paper allows her to touch-up her face before an event, Moody said. To that end, Kate also keeps a compact mirror in her purse.
Lip balm and a handkerchief are other staples in Kate’s purse
The contents of Kate’s handbag don’t stop at blotting paper and a compact mirror. The Princess of Wales, who is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy, has other things stashed away.
The third item “that the princess never reportedly goes without is another essential — the humble but mighty lip balm,” the outlet wrote.
Clarins is reportedly Kate’s lip balm brand of choice. The 42-year-old’s lip product even became a minor plot point in Prince Harry’s 2023 Spare memoir. In it, the Duke of Sussex recalled how his sister-in-law “grimaced” when the Duchess of Sussex asked to borrow lip gloss in an “awkward” 2018 exchange.
Finally, Kate’s said to keep a handkerchief nearby, “ensuring that she isn’t caught out by a rogue sneezing fit.”
“And whether you go for a cloth handkerchief or a handy pack of disposable tissues,” the outlet continued, “it’s something most people have tucked away in their handbags.”
What Queen Elizabeth carried in her purse
As for Queen Elizabeth, the late monarch regularly carried a few items in her handbag — typically a simple black leather design from Launer.
Like her granddaughter-in-law, Kate, the queen reportedly kept some essentials handy. “Speculation has it that inside the handbags, there’s some mints and a crossword,” Gok Wan, a fashion expert, told This Morning (via Newsweek).
Also in the queen’s bag were reportedly extra gloves, lipstick, and a compact mirror. All three of which she was seen pulling out of her purse, on occasion. Per the outlet, cameras spotted Queen Elizabeth touching up her lipstick at a May 2022 Platinum Jubilee equestrian event.
According to author Sally Bedell Smith, the queen was also known to keep reading glasses. Additionally, she carried a “precisely folded” £5 or £10 note to put in the church collection box.
“The most intriguing item she has been known to carry,” Bedell Smith added, “is a bag hook, an ingenious and sensible device.”
