As a Girl-Mom, I Have a Theory About Why All the Royals Are Wearing Friendship Bracelets

This summer, my seven-year-old daughter made us all beaded bracelets. She wrote out our names on each, and picked colors she felt suited us—Cincinnati Bengals orange and black for her brother, purple for her dad, green and pink for me. “Never take it off,” she instructed us. And, for the most part, we didn’t. (You try showering in a beaded Bengals bracelet for a week straight though.)

And so, when I noticed that members of the royal family were also wearing seemingly-homemade bracelets, my wheels started spinning. Where did they come from, and what did they mean?

I first noticed a friendship bracelet on Princess Charlotte (9) in her official birthday portrait, back in May, then again when she attended Wimbledon with her mother, Princess Kate , on July 14 ^th . These bracelets had the look of something you might whip up at summer camp, and added a carefree childishness to her otherwise tween-ready chiffon polka dot dress. But then, eagle-eyed royals fans started noticing the bracelets on other members of her family.

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On the same day as his sister and mother were at Wimbledon, in fact, Prince George attended the Euro 2024 England-Spain match with his father, and sported a subtle, seemingly-blue friendship bracelet on his left hand. Then, on  July 16 ^th , King Charles was spotted with a neon bracelet peeking out from the cuff of his gray suit while on a visit to Guernsey, which coincided with Queen Camilla’s 77 ^th birthday . And finally, on July 22 ^nd , the Prince and Princess of Wales posted a photo of Prince George for his 11 ^th birthday and, in  the corresponding IG story , we can see that sneaky little bracelet is still on his wrist.

What does all this mean? Some fans have posited it’s a testament to the family’s love of Taylor Swift. Maybe they got the bracelets at the concert they attended back in June ? But others think it’s more about a little girl doing what little girls do the whole world over: make bracelets for their family.

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Clearly, I don’t know the origin story. But I do know that, for my daughter, it helps her feel connected to us even when we’re apart. It helped her to wear her bracelet on her first day of camp and it helped her to know I had mine when I had a night out a few days later. Perhaps Charlotte feels the same way; after all, she and her mother were at Wimbledon while her brother and dad were in Germany for the EURO tournament. Maybe she missed them? Or perhaps it’s just a silly thing they do to get through a tough time in their lives .

Either way, if it bonds the royals together, I’m all for it. Even if the bracelets are getting a little ratty after three weeks in the shower.

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