Press scruffs hacked off at royal rules

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, shows off her baby bump. Photo / AP

Palace guidelines set for Royal’s US visit.

As William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, prepare to visit America in a fortnight, controversy is swirling around how reporters covering the couple's visit should dress.

Many American journalists pride themselves on their scruffy appearance, and have taken umbrage at Buckingham Palace guidelines that journalists should dress smartly during royal visits "out of respect" or risk being turned away.

New York magazine asked: "Why should the United States' press corps, who barely bother to brush the muffin crumbs off their polo shirts before lobbing questions at the President of the United States, schlep extra pieces of clothing to work just so they can make small talk with a (perfectly nice-seeming) British air ambulance pilot-in-training and a former chain-store accessories buyer?"

Politico, a site covering Washington politics, noted: "Our much more refined brothers across the pond are apparently worried that the American press corps, with our pride of the haggard and ill-dressed journalists, won't be appropriately attired when interacting with the royals."

The couple, who are expecting their second child in April, will visit New York City and Washington, DC, for three days, their first official visit to the US in three years.

The Daily Mail reported that the Senate Periodical Press Gallery had emailed its members with expected behaviour. These include "not taking pictures in the wrong places, not walking backwards and not being so absorbed in a phone as to run into people."

It continued: "Those wearing jeans or trainers will not be admitted and casually dressed members of the media will be turned away."

The couple's engagements include promoting sustainable conservation issues, young people's mental health and supporting disadvantaged young people.

The Prince will attend an anti-corruption conference at the World Bank, focusing on the transportation of illegal wildlife parts across borders.

William will push for a "zero tolerance" approach to the trade in ivory and other illegal wildlife parts, the Daily Telegraph reported.

He will stress that the demand for products such as rhino horn in the developed world drives the poaching of endangered species and is linked to money-laundering and corruption.