Being a member of the British Royal Family isn’t an easy job, as the royals have numerous rules, protocols, and traditions that they are expected to follow to the T while being under constant scrutiny in the public eye. But some rules are meant to be broken and traditions meant to be defied, or at least that’s what Meghan Markle seems to live by.
While she and Prince Harry have long stepped down as senior members of the royal family and have even gone on to “become financially independent” with their public gigs, there appear to be numerous times that Markle broke the royal protocols. Here’s a look at some of those recorded times!
21. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Gave Personal Interviews
When it comes to the royal family, in most cases, active and working members don’t give personal interviews. In fact, looking at it historically, the guiding principle has pretty much been “never complain, never explain” over the years. Plus, interviews must also typically be approved and managed by the Royal Communications office.
However, as unheard of as it might be for a member of the royal family to speak out about their personal issues, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to forego that. The two have given multiple personal interviews, opening up about their struggles as a couple dealing with media scrutiny, with their most notable and comprehensive one being the 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey (see highlights from The New York Times).
20. She is Also Keen on Making Surprise Appearances
For the British Royal Family, making surprise, unannounced public appearances might not be strictly prohibited, but it is largely avoided due to important protocol and security considerations. And yet, Meghan Markle didn’t hesitate to pull off quite a few surprise public appearances herself as a royal.
This includes her surprise appearance at the women’s singles final at the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, to watch her good friend Serena Williams’ tennis match (via CNN). Not to mention, she also accompanied Harry to the Red Sox vs. Yankees game in London that same year.
19. Meghan Markle Had an Expensive Baby Shower
The British Royal Family doesn’t traditionally have baby showers, since it’s not a British custom, and a lavish celebration beforehand is considered inappropriate due to their wealth. However, while previous royals like Kate Middleton and Princess Diana did not have them, Markle broke this tradition by having a private baby shower with friends in New York.
This gathering was thrown by her friends, mind you, and boy, was it extravagant. Reportedly, it even cost her friends around $200,000! (via Vanity Fair) As per Page Six reports, the pap source was a bit upset by it, as they reportedly called the shower “over-the-top and excessive.”
Adding to that, she also chose not to share any information about her birth plan with the public, unlike the royal women before her. Not to mention, she even chose to pass the tradition for royal women to do a photoshoot outside of the famous Lindo Wing after giving birth. Instead, Meghan and Harry posed for photographers with their newborn son a couple of days after welcoming him at St. George’s Hall.
18. Markle and Harry Gave Archie Only Two Names
It is a royal tradition for the children born in the royal family to receive not one or two, but three first names. Take Prince George, for instance, whose full name is Prince George Alexander Louis of Wales, and Prince Harry, whose full name is actually Henry Charles Albert David. But this tradition didn’t make its way to Harry and Markle’s children.
For their son, the pair decided that the name Archie Harrison was enough. Additionally, prior to King Charles III ascending to the throne in 2022, the palace referred to him as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. That’s not the norm, because royals traditionally don’t have last names, and are instead addressed by their title or use the name of the county where they rule.
There’s more: Traditionally, the news of the birth of a royal baby is announced by sharing it on a ceremonial easel placed outside Buckingham Palace. But Prince Harry and his wife chose to go for a different approach. When the time came for Archie’s birth, the royal couple boldly announced the news through their Instagram handle instead.
Plus, while royal christenings normally allow photographers onto the church grounds to capture moments before and after the ceremony, Harry and Meghan didn’t let the public into Archie’s ceremony at all, according to Royal Insider. Instead, they simply shared two photos of the entire royal family from the event. Oh, and they opted to keep the identities of Archie’s godparents a secret, too.
17. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Got Married on a Saturday
Apparently, it’s a royal tradition to get married during the week. Like how Kate Middleton and Prince William tied the knot on a Friday, Princess Diana and Prince Charles were hitched on a Wednesday, and even the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip walked down the aisle and said ‘I do’ on a Thursday. But Prince Harry and Meghan Markle broke this tradition as well, getting their nuptials on a Saturday.
Adding to this, another interesting fact about their royal wedding is that they had a light sponge cake that was uniquely created for the couple with elderflower syrup (via @KensingtonRoyal on X). This wasn’t according to the royal norms either, because, apparently, all special occasions, from Christmas to christenings, had been celebrated with fruit cakes for centuries in England (per reports from the New Yorker).
As for their engagement, Harry gave Markle a diamond engagement ring while royal women seemingly tend to favor engagement rings with gems. Take Diana’s famous sapphire ring, for instance. Plus, she also technically broke the tradition for royal women to dress modestly by wearing a sheer material Ralph and Russo ballgown for her engagement shoot – which was demure, yes, but still managed to raise some conservative eyebrows.
Oh, and not to mention, Markle also gave a toast at her own wedding, reportedly describing “how much she loves Prince Harry, the ways the family has welcomed her.” Why is this questionable? Well, simply because even non-royal brides don’t usually give speeches at their weddings, so Markle’s speech was evidently unprecedented. But to each their own!
16. Meghan Markle Has Worn Dark Nail Polish and Heavy Blush
It’s also an unspoken rule for royal women to either wear no nail polish or neutral colors, which goes hand in hand with the ‘modest dressing’ rule. After all, even Queen Elizabeth II wore the same light Ballet Slippers shade by Essie, or no nail polish at all, for about 28 years! But Markle didn’t hesitate to defy that rule, considering how she wore dark burgundy nail polish to The Fashion Awards in December 2018 (via Marie Claire).
Plus, it’s also pretty well known how royal women are expected to wear neat and neutral makeup and keep it to a minimum, which is yet another custom that goes hand in hand with the fact that royal women dress modestly. However, during her 2018 Christmas with the royal family, Harry’s wife gorgeously opted to go for some relatively heavy blush on her cheekbones, so that’s another rule well defied!
15. Markle Doesn’t Step Back From Voicing Her Political Opinions
For those who might not know, legally, members of the British Royal Family are not supposed to voice their political opinions. This is because they’re a non-political entity. But Meghan Markle, for one, has proudly broken this rule – not just once, but actually a couple of times.
First off, she proudly declared herself a feminist before proceeding to reveal that she was pro-choice, per reports. At least according to Irish Senator Catherine Noone, who took to her X handle to announce that she had spoken with the Duchess of Sussex, and she seemed pleased that Ireland wanted to legalize abortion. That tweet was later deleted, though, so that’s that too (via The Irish Times ).
Also, prior to her marriage, Markle had her own lifestyle blog, The Tig. This one had her sharing posts ranging from her favorite skincare to snacks, and much more. However, since members of the royal family are prohibited from expressing their political opinions and endorsing or receiving any personal products, she had to shut down the blog soon after announcing her engagement to Prince Harry.
14. She Led a Public Life and Was Even Married Before Prince Harry
Another interesting thing about Meghan Markle is that she has led a public life before marrying into the British Royal Family. As fans must already know, she had a fictional life apart from her real one as an actress. The fact that she was a famous actress before her marriage must certainly be unprecedented in the royal family.
Adding to this, she had also been married before she chose to tie the knot with Harry. Until 2013, she was married to Trever Engelson, and she got her nuptials with the prince after divorcing Engelson.
Readers must know that, before, royals used to be prohibited from marrying anyone who had been divorced (via History.com). However, the family’s attitude has changed significantly since then, considering how Harry’s own father, Prince Charles, married divorcée Camilla Parker Bowles back in 2005. So the young prince’s walking in his father’s footsteps might not have been that scrutinized by the royal family.
13. Meghan Markle Isn’t Too Conservative With Her Style
When it comes to the outfits for the royal women, the Duchess of Sussex might as well be accepted to not be that conservative with what she wears as a member of the royal family. Her style is simply different: She doesn’t always wear hats, and even often goes for crossbody bags and totes over what royals are usually seen carrying, i.e., Clutches.
For one, although the Queen reportedly prefers skirts and dresses over pants, as per People, Markle chose to forego that preference. She has been spotted wearing pants on numerous occasions, including during an official royal visit to Ireland with the prince in July 2018, and at her royal appearance at the WellChild Awards in September 2018, donning stunning pantsuits.
Adding to this, her wardrobe also consists of the thigh-high slit dress she wore while visiting Fraser Island with Prince Harry in Australia (via ABC); the tuxedo dress with a short hem above the knees that she sported to a performance of Hamilton; the black and white patterned super short outfit she donned for International Women’s Day; and that off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera dress she wore at her second official appearance after her wedding, at Trooping the Colour in 2018.
Plus, the Queen allegedly prefers for the royal family members not to wear all black unless they are in mourning. However, Markle has turned heads multiple times while donning all black. Like the time she opted for an all-black dress and coat for a royal engagement in London in July 2019, for instance.
Also, royals are only allowed to wear jeans on super casual occasions. If anything, for any event, ripped jeans are practically pushing it. And yet, Markle chose her style over everything else as she wore a pair of blue ripped jeans while in Toronto with Harry. Oh, and there’s also that deep neckline Oscar de La Renta dress she flaunted, breaking the royals’ conservative clothing rule!
12. She Didn’t Wear Nude Stockings at Her Engagement Photocall
Thanks to the conservative clothing rule, Meghan Markle has been expected to don nude stockings with skirts and dresses, as is the rule for members of the royal family, per what royal expert Victoria Arbiter told Business Insider. But the Duchess, for one, chose to go for strappy heels without stockings in her first official photocall with her husband, which is highly unusual for a royal.
Besides that, she has been spotted without pantyhose on many other occasions, including the time she rocked bare legs while attending a performance of Hamilton with Prince Harry in August 2018. And she doesn’t seem to hold any regrets about it either, so that’s that too!
11. She Didn’t Observe the ‘Sleek Hairstyle’ Royal Protocol on Multiple Occasions
Meghan Markle has been pretty obvious about her choice of hairstyles, judging from the numerous times she chose to go with a loose, messy bun over the sleek hairstyle that a royal might be expected to sport, just like how Kate Middleton does.
You might not have seen Princess Catherine wearing an updo with messy tendrils falling around her face, but that’s a look you might as well have seen on Markle on multiple occasions (via Allure). Like how she went for an undone-bun look while visiting the Titanic Belfast in March 2018. Or the time she opted for a casual low bun, in October 2018. Messy, but so pretty!
10. Meghan Markle Signed a Young Girl’s Autograph Book
Another time that the Duchess of Sussex had eyebrows raised by onlookers was when she signed a young girl’s autograph book. This happened during a January visit to Wales, when she signed for 10-year-old Caitlin Clarke, writing “Hi Kaitlin,” thus signing without actually signing her own name (via People). Clarke told the outlet,
I don’t really care, My heart is still racing. I’ve never got a royal autograph before. This is going to make everyone jealous
While this may be considered normal for people, since Markle is a celebrity and naturally has fans who want her autograph too, royals actually aren’t supposed to sign autographs for a very simple reason: It makes their handwriting available to people who might use it for nefarious purposes. So, we guess that’s another rule technically broken!
9. Markle Closed Her Own Car Door, and the Internet Freaked Out
Among the few more normal-people-things that the royals tend to do, closing a car door by themselves isn’t really something they do while making official appearances. But Meghan Markle, being Meghan Markle, closed her own car door during her first solo appearance as the Duchess of Sussex, soon after her wedding.
This part had the internet freaking out, and we’re actually not joking when we say this. For one, even an etiquette expert chimed in on the debates, mentioning why this move from Markle was so noteworthy. Apparently, when you are a member of the royal family or a dignitary, you have a member of staff to open and close a car door for you (via BBC News)!
8. Meghan Markle Sat With Her Legs Crossed
When it comes to the British Royal Family, women in the family are expected to sit with their legs and knees together while having their ankles crossed whenever they are sitting down. But the Duchess of Sussex didn’t really seem to abide by those rules, sitting next to the late Queen with her legs crossed at the knees. But, hey, that’s fine too, right?
7. Unlike Other Royals, She Held a Photocall With Her Baby a Few Days After Giving Birth
When it was the time of Princess Diana and Kate Middleton, both the royals were photographed with their newborn babies within hours of giving birth, on the hospital steps, with each of their pregnancies. But Meghan Markle turned the tables on this tradition, too.
When her child with Prince Harry was born, a statement was released from the palace, which said that Markle and Harry planned to “celebrate privately as a new family” (via ABC News) before they introduced Archie to the world. Her photocall with her baby came a few days after giving birth, too.
6. Meghan and Harry Didn’t Use Their Official Titles on Their First Royal Tour as a Family
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex don’t really seem much of rule-followers, considering how they even ditched their official royal titles during their first royal tour as a family. When they made their debut as the newest addition to the royal family on their South African tour, the couple made it clear that they wanted to shake up their image.
The two skipped their His/Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles and asked fans to simply refer to them as Meghan and Harry. While this move dodged the royal protocol, it wasn’t the only rule they didn’t follow. After all, the lovebirds also chose to opt out of their nerve-racking curtsy protocol while on tour!
5. Meghan Markle Has Her Own Coat of Arms
This is yet another important part of a wedding in the British Royal Family. When a woman marries into the royal family, traditionally, her father receives a royal coat of arms. This is then extended to the woman’s entire family. But this rule was tweaked a bit when it came down to Markle.
Since the former television actress is estranged from her father, Thomas Markle, and he didn’t attend her royal wedding either, the palace announced that the coat of arms was created specifically for Markle herself as reported by Town & Country Magazine. (You go, gurl!)
4. She Celebrated Christmas at Sandringham Despite Not Being a Royal (Yet!)
Okay, here’s another interesting fact about the British Royal Family: Christmas at Sandringham is a super legendary event for the royal family members, and only the spouses of the Queen’s invitees are allowed to attend it.
But, when it came to Meghan Markle, the rules were, once again, tweaked a bit. This time around, it was Prince Harry who reportedly asked his grandmother to make an exception for his soon-to-be wife in 2018. The late Queen obliged, too, and Markle was allowed to take part in the legendary event despite not being a royal just yet (via BBC).
Also, in April 2018, she attended another royals-only event despite not being wed to Harry just yet. This was when he graced his presence at the Commonwealth Youth Forum, which is an event that usually allows only royal family members to join. At the time, Markle was only Harry’s fiancée. And yet, she managed to attend this royals-only event as well!
3. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Don’t Refrain From PDA
Of course, it’s not an official rule for the members of the royal family not to engage in public displays of affection. However, since they’re working representatives of the monarchy, royals usually tend to keep it to a minimum. But, of course, when it comes to Harry and Markle, it’s just different.
As people must have noticed multiple times, this royal couple doesn’t hesitate to hold hands as much as they can, even if it’s at an official appearance or when caught in public by the paparazzi. Like, they did it during a party at a British ambassador’s residence in July 2018, and later, in July 2019, too, at the London premiere of The Lion King.
Besides that, the two engage in other forms of PDA too. Like having their arms around each other, the way they did during their trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, in February 2018. Or when Markle hit her royal husband with some side-hug affection during a royal engagement in September 2018. Or when Harry put his hand on his wife’s upper thigh during an event at Bondi Beach in Australia. These two just can’t keep their hands off each other!
2. She Talked About Prince Harry With Variety Before Her Engagement
Yet another eyebrow-raising stunt from Meghan Markle was when she opened up about her then-soon-to-be-husband in an interview with Variety. Although it happened before her engagement, it was still unusual because royal girlfriends don’t typically discuss their relationships and love lives before they’re engaged or married. She told Vanity Fair,
We’re two people who are really happy and in love, Nothing about me changed. I’m still the same person that I am, and I’ve never defined myself by my relationship.
Guess she was actually just really in love!
1. Royals Usually Stick to Formal Greetings, But Meghan Markle is a Hugger
While other royals from the British Royal Family might refrain from getting too personal and touchy and usually stick to more formal greetings, Meghan Markle is just built differently. She is a hugger, and she has emphasized this fact about herself more than once.
During her visit to Edinburgh, she went for a hug with her fans over the customary handshake. Then, in New Zealand, in October 2018, she once again pulled off another hug with a cute little fan. Another time that same year, in March, she embraced another young fan while out with Harry. Oh, and she also embraced fan-beloved singer Beyoncé, too!
To sum it up, Meghan Markle and the royal rules, traditions, and protocols haven’t really gone hand-in-hand over the years on multiple instances. And yet, the royal continues to gain love and appreciation from her fans worldwide. Truly iconic, don’t you think?
