Kate Middleton Stopped Prince William From Making This Permanent Mistake

For the royal family, etiquette and protocol are important. Therefore, it's widely believed that royals having body ink would be frowned upon. However, royals getting tattoos is actually something that has occurred for centuries. Body ink has a rich history in the monarchy. In fact, past kings have gotten tattoos as acts of symbolism and good will.

According to reports from 2008, Prince William has considered getting a tattoo as well. But his then-girlfriend Kate Middleton stopped him from doing so.

“Lots of the guys on board sport tattoos [and] it was obvious William was fascinated,” a sailor from HMS Iron Duke told The Sun. “He asked how painful it was and wanted to know what they thought of his idea for a tattoo across his shoulders. We didn't think he was serious – but he said he was keen to get a large tattoo like the one David Beckham has. He said the only thing stopping him was his girlfriend,” the sailor revealed.

In 2018, Prince William visited Israel, making him the first royal ever to make an official trip to the country. Many people wondered if he will follow the tradition that his ancestors have started. Prince Albert Edward and his sons, Prince Albert Victor and King George V, all got tattoos on their arms that represent Jerusalem's five crosses and three crowns. Those tattoos were done by the Razzouk family, Coptic Christians specializing in tattoos who came to Jerusalem from Egypt in 1750. The 19th century family tattoo parlor where it was done is in business up to this date.

William’s grandfather, Prince Philip, was also fascinated with tattoos. During a visit to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards at Lille Barracks in Aldershot in 2017, the Duke of Edinburgh was anxious to see the variety of inkings on show. “He was asking them where they had got them done and what the story was behind them,” one source said at the time.

Meanwhile, in 2018, Kate was seen with a small flower on her right hand. It turned out that it was a henna design drawn on by one of the girls from charitable organization Young Asian Voices when she visited The Fire Station, a building now converted into an art and music center.

If William had gone through his decision to get a tattoo, it wouldn't seem to be breaking any royal protocol as William and Harry’s cousin, Lady Amelia Windsor, has multiple permanent tattoos on both her wrists and a tiger on a shoulder. However, others say she might have been allowed to get her tattoos because she’s further down the line of succession. At present, William has remained ink-free.