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When it comes to the royal family, there are plenty of rules (including unspoken ones) and protocol to navigate. For new members of the family, keeping up with all those rules can be a lot of work. The Duchess of Sussex, for instance, has been an interesting addition to the royal family, as people often refer to her as a "rule breaker." Case in point: Here are 12 times Meghan Markle "broke" royal protocol in 2018, and they might make you ask yourself: is it really such a bad thing to break (or bend) the rules?
On May 19, 2018, Meghan Markle officially joined the royal family with her marriage to Prince Harry. Marrying into the royal family means more than gaining a fancy new title; it also means that a lot of people expected Markle to start following royal protocol.
The Duchess of Sussex had a bit of a rebellious and progressive spirit long before joining the royal family, though. She's been very open about promoting gender equality in the past, like when she spoke at the 2014 One Young World summit. Professional Woman's Magazine even noted that Markle has made activism a top priority throughout her life.
Knowing all of that, it's no surprise that Markle isn't shy about stepping outside of royal traditions and doing things her own way.
When She Wore A Pantsuit
At the WellChild awards in London, Markle showed up wearing a chic black pantsuit, as reported by Glamour.
You might wonder what's the big deal about that. Well, according to Cosmopolitan, Queen Elizabeth's biggest fashion pet peeve is royal women wearing pantsuits — which explains why the public has never seen her in one.
When She Wore Wedges At Bondi Beach...
Wedges can be a controversial shoe in regular conversation. Some of your friends might be big fans, while others would be happy never seeing another wedge again. It seems Queen Elizabeth falls more in the latter camp.
A source reportedly told Vanity Fair, "The Queen isn't a fan of wedged shoes. She doesn't like them and it's well known among the women in the family."
That didn't stop Markle from stepping out at Bondi Beach with a long maxi dress and pair of wedges!
& Later Took She Took Her Shoes Off
Yeah, it seems there's also a royal rule against taking your shoes off in public, especially while touring other countries, as reported by Glamour.
But, Markle was not hesitant to ditch that rule during her tour with Prince Harry and dig her toes in the sand at Bondi Beach.
When She Wore Dark Nail Polish
While making a surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards, Meghan Markle made an appearance in a beautiful black gown with dark nail polish. And, you guessed it, that's breaking protocol, according to TODAY.
There has been a long unspoken rule regarding women only wearing clear or neutral shades of nail polish, according to TODAY. It seems appropriate that Markle decided to make a statement by breaking protocol when making an unexpected appearance at a fashion event.
When She Showed Her Bare Legs....
During a gala celebrating a charity performance of Hamilton, Meghan Markle ditched the pantyhose that royal protocol dictates she's supposed to wear.
Markle has broken the rule before but, as Allure noted, it was her first time doing so since becoming Duchess.
When She Ditched Wearing A Hat
On her first solo trip with Queen Elizabeth, Markle opted to not wear a hat. It seems like a small thing but, according to the Daily Mail, palace insiders reported that royal aides assumed that Markle would wear a hat after being informed the queen was going to do so.
When She Wore An Off-Shoulder Dress
After Markle wore an off-the-shoulder dress to Queen Elizabeth's Trooping the Colour ceremony in London, many people expressed that they found it "inappropriate."
Traditionally, women in the royal family steer clear of dresses with off-the-shoulder sleeves. But, as Business Insider noted, Markle isn't the only woman who has worn that type of dress — even Kate Middleton has done so.
When Her Coat of Arms Seemed To Be Missing Something...
When you're a member of the royal family, you get a personalized coat of arms. Tradition dictates that the gift goes to the father of the bride ahead of the royal wedding, and reflects their family name.
With the newest member of the family, the palace bestowed the honor on only Markle herself, as reported by Fashion, and although the symbol makes references to California, it didn't include anything about Markle's family name.
When She Wore A Crossbody Bag
When visiting Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, Markle opted for a crossbody bag.
There's not a super official rule about what bags women in the royal family should carry but, as reported by Glamour, they generally wear clutches because it's easier to avoid shaking hands that way.
When She Got Married In May
A May wedding seems smart. You get to dodge the full heat of summer, but you're also not stuck shivering during winter.
But Prince Harry's great-great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria, reportedly said of May weddings: "Marry in May, and rue the day."
When She Shut Her Own Car Door
Not all royal protocol is fashion based.
In 2018, Twitter went wild for a video that shows Markle arriving at London's Royal Academy for her first solo engagement as Duchess. After getting out of the car, she did what few royals have done before: she shut the car door.
This may not seem big but, as reported by Fashion, it's pretty rare for an on-the-clock royal to shut their own door.
Meghan Markle's breeches of royal protocol are all pretty small, so it speaks to how closely watched the royal family is. But, she married Prince Harry, who's known for his rebellious spirit. So, it seems that's one other thing the young couple has in common.
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