Myka Meier, the founder of Beaumont Etiquette, recently sat down to chat with Good Housekeeping, and spoke about Middleton’s fondness for the clutch.

And, as it turns out, the Duchess prefers to carry one in a bid to ward off unwanted handshakes. Genius.

“When the Duchess is at an event, she holds her bag in front of her in both hands when shaking hands might be awkward,” explains Meier.

However, if Middleton is far more inclined to shake hands with someone, she absolutely can do so – as long as she doesn’t have to tuck her bag under her arm (a big etiquette no-no, apparently).

Instead, all she has to do is place her bag “in one hand to have the other free”.

The real reason Kate Middleton carries a clutch bag at all times