Demanding that your plumber wear a jacket and tie while snaking out your blocked commode seems a bit overmuch. I can see "the press" adhering to a dress code but considering some of the stuff the technicians lug around and deal with a jacket would get in the way.
No walking backwards? Just to prevent anybody from getting ahead of (in front of) the royal personage? It's all good with me if they want TVs filled with shots of their asses walking away.
The problem with the English royalty is they still think they are royal. The Emperor of Japan knows that he no longer has the power to have someone beheaded because their shadow crossed his. The King of Saudi Arabia knows that he does.
stay safe.
OK, first point. The walking backwards.
I'm betting that has more to do with over eager photographers, safety and the fact that his mother was essentially killed for the sake of a picture. Of all the people in the world, the British Royals have some reason to be a little over sensitive about how much they will tolerate in that respect.
Some idiot with a camera, walking backwards and paying no attention to what is behind him can cause problems. A herd of them amplifies the issue.
As a security problem, that's yet another crowd block a potential exit.
I doubt this has anything to do with royal ego and everything to do with the issues caused by photographers in a feeding frenzy.
As far as dress codes, their house, their rules. I'm pretty sure they know they cannot control this stuff if they are out in the public, but if they've got control over who can and cannot come in, well, yes, they can demand the plumber wear a tie and jacket.
The big difference between a plumber and the media is that the plumber is the service, the media is receiving a service. Being invited in to presence of the duke and duchess to take pictures and ask questions isn't exactly the same as being paid to come over and snake a drain.
Finally, since the Brits still pay for their royal family to be royal, well, than, they are. If the Brits want a pretty bunch of mascots for their country, that's their business. The fact that the American press wants pictures and interviews is because apparently, they can sell if. William and Kate could just say 'no, *expletive deleted*ck off', instead they're saying 'OK, and here are our ground rules'. So, the American press gets their paychecks and the Royals get a little publicity for whatever charity their hawking at the moment (BTW, you do know that's what they spend a good portion of their public image on, right?) and everyone wins.
