Poppies are a symbol of remembrance and leading up to Remembrance Day on 11th, the Royal Family aren't seen in public without one. At the National Service of Remembrance, though, we often see the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla with multiple poppies worn on the left side of their respectful black outfits.
The Royal Family have never publicly confirmed the reason for this, though over the years several prominent theories have emerged. All are possible, but one of them stands out to me, as it would explain why so many royals often opt for three poppies.
Kate has worn three regularly for a while now and Queen Camilla has worn three in the past too, as has Duchess Sophie. It’s thought that each poppy could represent a different main branch of the armed forces - the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy and the British Army.
Although Prince William is more well-known for being a former RAF pilot, he also served in the Navy and the Army for a time throughout his military career. Alongside her husband’s links, Kate’s paternal grandfather Peter Middleton was an RAF fighter pilot during World War II.
The future Queen herself also holds honorary positions tied to all three branches, including being Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Colonel of the Irish Guards and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Coningsby. Queen Camilla likewise has roles associated with the RAF, Navy and Army which could be why she has worn three poppies several times before too.
The number of poppies worn by Queen Camilla varies more, as she sometimes wears larger poppies instead, or a single one with a meaningful brooch.
The late Queen Elizabeth used to wear five poppies which were thought to represent the RAF, Royal Navy, British Army, as well as Civil Defence and women’s services. The British Legion has stated that there’s no "correct" way to wear a poppy, only asking that those who wear these poignant symbols do so with pride.
Whilst I do think that wanting to honour and remember these branches of the Armed Forces is a very likely explanation for why royals like Kate and Queen Camilla wear more than one poppy, there is another possible reason.
It’s been suggested that individual royals wear certain numbers of poppies in tribute to family members who fought and lost their lives in war. Over the years it’s been speculated that the Princess of Wales’s three poppies could also be in memory of her great-grandmother’s three brothers who died in the First World War.
Another prominent theory is that multiple poppies are simply more visible than one and thus send a powerful message to anyone attending the National Service of Remembrance or watching the coverage on television.
Although this could be an additional factor, I personally think that this isn’t the primary reason and that honouring the Armed Forces, perhaps with a dual meaning linked to family, is more likely to be why Kate, Camilla and so many other royals wear more than one poppy.
