Here are some new photos of Duchess Kate and Prince William, camping in the “frontier town” of Yellowknife in Canada. The press is making this camping trip out to be like a second honeymoon, but there were lots of other people camping with them, and obviously, there were photographers too. Will and Kate spent their time “feasting on local cranberries, bannock bread and Caribou steaks cooked over an open campfire in total peace and solitude.” I might be more convinced if I saw photos of Kate actually putting food to her mouth, but seeing her with a fork in her hand, trying to look like she eats solids will have to be good enough:

The jeans and blouse combo that you see in these photos is actually a costume change – earlier in the day (yesterday), Kate was wearing a cream-colored linen dress by Malene Birger – you can see a photo here.

Meanwhile, many have begun pointing out the little fact that Kate is always in sheer hose and closed-toe shoes. Does our Katie have foot issues? Nope. According to The Mail, it’s royal protocol to wear hose at all times (when you’re wearing a skirt, that is). Naked legs are simply NOT ROYAL.

With her flawless fashion sense, radiant smile and bouncy, glossy locks, it is hard to find fault the Duchess of Cambridge. But a few quiet murmurs from the style set indicate that her look is not being as universally well-received as it seems.

The 29-year-old has not set a foot wrong when it comes to designer frocks, but in almost every single picture, there is the same telltale satin sheen of sheer hosiery. While it is true that nude stockings can hide a multitude of sins, they have not been in vogue since the Eighties and the result is a somewhat ageing look, at odds with her otherwise youthful style. But would Catherine actually be wearing these tights if she weren’t in the public eye? The fact that she is always wearing them, and closed-toe shoes for that matter, indicate that she is simply adhering to Royal protocol.

Indeed, one will never see the Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall or the Countess of Wessex without sheer stockings and closed-toe shoes. Even fashion-conscious Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie comply.

And when Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson described the dress code for a recent white tie event at Buckingham Palace, the rules were the same. She told Harper’s Bazaar: ‘The palace dress requirements say that women… must wear closed-toed shoes – and get this: stockings! Sheer disbelief – I don’t even own a pair of sheer hose.’

[From The Mail]

That’s one of those protocols that could stand to be broken a few times, especially in the summer months. And it’s just absurd to never wear open-toed shoes! What the hell?

More photos from the camping trip:

Photos courtesy of Fame.