All the Ways Meghan Markle Broke Royal Protocol

Meghan Markle has only been a member of the royal family for about a little over two years now, but already she's broken a ton of royal rules—both official and unofficial. Sure, some of these guidelines are super extreme and slightly ridiculous (like, let the woman wear all black if she wants to or close the car door she came out of! Hmph!). But still, at the end of the day, the royals have their traditions and they're expected to be followed. Currently re-thinking my dream of being a British royal since that means low-key signing my life away and being looked down upon for wearing a messy bun.

Though, Meghan Markle has made a mark in royal history and has made a totally new version of a royal icon (and, er, maybe we should be using "royal" in quotation marks, given the factthat Meghan and Harry "stepped back" from their senior royal duties and become financially independent!), and I love it. She's not letting some historic rule stop her from living life the way she wants and looking the the way she feels most beautiful and I am so here for it. Can't wait to see what she does next.

For royal women, whenever they are sitting down, they are expected to sit with their legs and knees together while having their ankles crossed. Meghan has clearly not abided by those rules...which is fine!!

Typically the royal mother wears a piece by a British designer—Kate Middleton has worn Alexander McQueen to all three of her children's christenings—but she decided to go with Dior, as she is a fan of their creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri.

In April 2018, Meghan joined Harry at the Commonwealth Youth Forum. This event usually only allows royal family members to join and at the time, Meghan was only Harry's then-fiancé.

Listen, there aren't suuuuperr specific rules regarding makeup, but royals are usually seen with lighter makeup. She was not afraid to chizzle out those cheekbones with some bronzer! Yes girl!

Traditionally, the news of a royal baby being birthed is shared on a ceremonial easel place outside of Buckingham palace. But Meghan and Harry opted to announce the news on Instagram instead. Bold!

From the first moment she announced her engagement to Prince Harry, Meghan was changing it up. During their official photo session, Meghan chose to (hold your gasps, please) not wear pantyhose. While this might seem like nothing special for most women under 85, it's highly unusual for a royal. Queen Elizabeth wears them, Kate Middleton wears them, and Princess Diana wore them. So while it may not be an official rule, it's definitely a tradition.

And it looks like Meg has no regrets about her choice, 'cause she also rocked bare legs while attending a performance of Hamilton with Prince Harry in August 2018.

Royals do *some* normal people things, but it's mostly when they aren't making official appearances. When Meghan closed her own car door during her first solo appearance as the Duchess of Sussex, the internet freaked out. An etiquette expert chimed in on why this was so noteworthy, explaining that 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. It's! Just! How! Things! Go!

During Meghan's first official event with the Queen back in June 2018, Meghan didn't know whether to get in the car before the monarch or after and was heard asking the Queen, "What's your preference?" The Queen then gestured for Meghan to get into the car first, so that she could get her usual spot, which is the seat behind the driver. Close call, but it worked out!

Before a woman marries into the royal family, her father traditionally receives a royal coat of arms that's then extended to her entire family. However, because Meghan is estranged from her father, Thomas Markle, and he didn't attend the wedding, the palace announced that the coat of arms was created specifically for Meghan.

The queen reportedly prefers skirts and dresses over pants, which is why she (and Kate Middleton) are rarely seen in them. However, Meghan has worn pants numerous times.

Here she is opting for pants again during an official royal visit to Ireland with Prince Harry in July 2018.

And here she is wearing pants again to a royal appearance at the WellChild Awards in September 2018. The woman clearly loves her pantsuits!

Christmas at Sandringham is legendary, so much so that only spouses of the Queen's invitees are allowed to attend. Back in 2010, even Kate didn't get to go—she was engaged to Prince William, but she didn't marry him until April 2011. However, Prince Harry asked his grandmother to make an exception for Meghan in 2018, and she obliged.

Royals aren't supposed to sign autographs for the simple reason that it makes their handwriting available to people who might use it for nefarious purposes, but during a January visit to Wales, Meghan broke this rule (or came up with a clever workaround, depending on who you ask). When 10-year-old Caitlin Clarke asked for her signature, Meghan wrote, "Hi Kaitlin," thus signing without actually signing her own name. Caitlin was so excited that she didn't care that Meghan spelled her name wrong. "I've never got a royal autograph before," she told reporters. "This is going to make everyone jealous."

Until 2015, royals weren't allowed to marry Roman Catholics unless they were trying to get themselves removed from the line of succession. Meghan has never publicly discussed her religious background, but we know that she went to a Catholic girls' school. In any case, she was baptized into the Church of England prior to her wedding and said her famous "I do" at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

This technically happened before her engagement, but that's why it's even more unusual—royal girlfriends don't typically discuss their relationships before they're engaged or married. "We're two people who are really happy and in love," she told Vanity Fair. "Nothing about me changed. I'm still the same person that I am, and I've never defined myself by my relationship."

There's not an official rule about PDA, but royals usually keep it to a minimum, because they're working representatives of the monarchy. You'll notice, however, that Meghan and Prince Harry hold hands a lot—whether they're at an official appearance or caught in public by the paparazzi. This is partly because Harry, as the sixth person in line for the throne, has slightly less responsibility to uphold the image of the monarchy than his older brother does.

Seriously, these two hold hands all of the time! Here they are doing it again during a party at a British Ambassador's residence in July 2018.

And a year later in July 2019 these two crazy kids are still at it, as seen here at The Lion King premiere in London.

Hand-holding isn't the only PDA that Meghan and Harry engage in during official royal outings. Here they are with their arms around each other during a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, in February 2018. Awwww.

And here's Meghan hitting Harry with some side-hug action during a royal engagement in September 2018. Seriously, can you image Will and Kate doing this?

And perhaps their sexiest and least royal instance of PDA was when Harry put his hand on Meghan's UPPER THIGH during an event at Bondi Beach, Australia. Are you sweating? I'm definitely sweating.

The palace prefers that the royals keep their wardrobes conservative, meaning the thigh-high slit that Meghan rocked while visiting Fraser Island in Australia may have caused some controversy.

Yet again, Meg's legs caused a stir. This time, it was the tuxedo dress the Duchess wore to a performance of Hamilton that had people saying she broke protocol with a short hem.

Late into her pregnancy, Meghan turned heads when she wore a black and white patterned dress on International Women's Day that some said breached the hemline protocol AGAIN.

Prior to meeting Harry, Meghan was married to Trevor Engelson (they divorced in 2013). Royals used to be prohibited from marrying anyone who had been divorced, and if you watch The Crown you'll remember it as one of the reasons everybody was so mad when Edward VIII wanted to marry Wallis Simpson. The family's attitude has changed since then. Case in point: Harry's own father, Prince Charles, married divorcée Camilla Parker Bowles back in 2005.

Not only did Meghan lead a public life before marrying into the royal family, but she had a fictional one too as Rachel Zane on Suits. The fact that Meghan was a famous actress is certainly unprecedented in the royal family.

One of the first things Meghan did after announcing her engagement was shut down her lifestyle blog, The Tig. Members of the royal family are not only prohibited from expressing political opinions, but they also aren't allowed to endorse or receive any personal products—so Meghan's archived posts describing her favorite skincare, snacks, and more had to go.

Although Meghan didn't technically break protocol by guest editing the September issue of British Vogue, it was unprecedented. Instead of following in the path of Kate Middleton and appearing on the cover, Meghan forged her own way with a collective cover that made a statement.

Legally, members of the British royal family aren't supposed to voice political opinions, as they're a nonpolitical entity. However, Meghan has broken this rule a couple of times. First, she proudly declared herself a feminist (which IMO shouldn't be a political stance!), and then she reportedly revealed that she was pro-choice. At least, according to Irish Senator Catherine Noone, who tweeted that she spoke with Meg and the Duchess seemed pleased that Ireland wanted to legalize abortion. Noone later deleted the tweet, possibly realizing her mistake.

Queen Elizabeth is a firm believer that ladies should keep their heads covered (which is why she often wears a scarf or a crown when she's not in a hat), so it was particularly bold when Meghan went hat-less to an event where she was seated right next to the Queen.

This technically isn't a full-on rule, but when have you ever seen Kate Middleton wearing an updo with messy tendrils falling around her face? So pretty.

Here's another time Meg went for the undone-bun look, while visiting the Titanic Belfast in March 2018.

And here she is again with a casual low bun in October 2018. We've got to give it to her, the girl can rock a messy updo.

Shocking, I know, but the reason you see so many royals carrying clutches is because you have to hold them in your hands, which means you have a better excuse *not* to shake hands with any and everyone who crosses your path. But when you dare to wear a crossbody, as Meghan did in Edinburgh, it's much harder to keep your hands to yourself.

And here she is with a tote during an appearance in December 2017, which is also not the traditional clutch!

The Queen allegedly prefers for royal family members not to wear all black unless they're in mourning, but Meghan has worn all-black outfits on multiple occasions.

Here she is foregoing color again and instead opting for an all-back dress and coat for a royal engagement in London in January 2019. Chic.

Royals are only allowed to wear jeans on super casual occasions (like walking the dog, lol) and for any event, ripped jeans are pushing it. But that didn't stop Meghan from wearing a pair while in Toronto with Prince Harry. Royals! are just! like us!

At Trooping the Colour in 2018, which was Meghan's second official appearance after her royal wedding, she opted for an off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera dress. Stunning, no? Some thought it broke the "rule" that royal women should dress modestly and not show too much skin—especially considering it was a daytime event. Don't tell the Queen, but this dress seems pretty modest to me...

Meghan broke the royal's conservative clothing rule when she donned an Oscar de La Renta dress with a deep neckline.

It's an unspoken rule that royal women should either wear no nail polish or neutral colors (the Queen has been wearing the same light "Ballet Slippers" shade by Essie, or no polish at all, for 28 years!). But Meghan wore dark burgundy polish to The Fashion Awards in December 2018. Scandalous!

Royal women are also expected to wear "neat and natural" makeup and keep it to a minimum. However, during Meghan's 2018 Christmas with the royal fam, she wore relatively heavy (and extremely pretty!) blush on her cheekbones. I'm into it, tbh.

Even on the beach, royals are expected to keep their shoes firmly on their feet. (Think about it: Have you ever seen Kate Middleton in her bare feet?!) But Meghan took off her wedges at Bondi Beach during her and Prince Harry's tour of Australia.

Proof: Princess Diana in an ankle-length dress and flats at a meet-and-greet with speedo-clad lifeguards in Sydney, Australia, in January 1988. I can't get over these flats on the sand! They even have a baby heel, too!

While visiting Edinburgh (yes, the same trip where she dared to wear the crossbody bag), Meghan went in for a hug rather than the customary handshake. Kate usually only offers hugs to children, but Meghan's just different like that.

And here she is giving a little fan a hug in New Zealand in October 2018. Too cute!

Seriously, Meg is a hugger. Here she is embracing another young fan while out with Prince Harry in March 2018. Now I want a hug.

Totally understandable that Meg broke royal protocol for this—who wouldn't want to embrace Beyoncé??!!

While on tour in South Africa, Meghan kissed a fan's hand when she realized how nervous the little girl was to meet her. Although it was a touching gesture, some thought it broke royal protocol.

It might not seem noteworthy that Harry gave Meghan a diamond engagement ring, but royal women tend to favor engagement rings with gems, like Diana's (and now Kate's) famous sapphire ring and Duchess Sarah Ferguson's ruby ring. Go figure.

Another time Meghan broke the tradition that royal women should dress ~modestly~ was when she wore a Ralph and Russo ballgown for her engagement shoot. Even though the gown was demure, the sheer material raised some conservative eyebrows.

It seems totally normal to get married on a weekend to us common folk, but it's royal tradition to get married during the week. For context, Kate Middleton and Prince William were married on a Friday, Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married on a Wednesday, and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married on a Thursday.

Meghan gave a speech at her wedding, reportedly describing "how much she loves Prince Harry, the ways the family has welcomed her." Even non-royal brides don't usually give speeches at their weddings, so this one was really unprecedented. Sweet, tho.

When Meghan and Harry debuted their royal Instagram account, they had so many follower requests in such a short period of time, that they caused the whole app to glitch. Since then, Meghan has put her own stamp on the couple's account, highlighting various charities and posting inspirational quotes. She even posted a comment on William and Kate's Instagram post for Prince Louis's birthday, wishing him well, which some said wasn't on par with the palace's protocol.

Royals don't usually have baby showers (Kate didn't have one for any of her three children), but Meghan flew all the way to New York City for a gathering that her friends threw her to celebrate her future bb. Here she is trying to keep it low-key in athleisure.

Not only did she have a baby shower, but she had an extravagant one that reportedly cost her friends (like BFF Serena Williams) $200,000! Royal insiders were a little upset by it, calling the shower "a bit over the top in terms of expense." Archie was worth it, let's be real.

Unlike royal women before her, Meghan chose not to share any info about her birth plan with the public, and instead released a statement, saying, "Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family."

It might not be protocol, but it certainly is tradition for royal women to do a photo shoot 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.

Normally royals give their children at least three names (Did you know Prince Harry's full name is actually Henry Charles Albert David??). However, Meghan and Harry decided two names was enough for their son Archie Harrison.

Royals traditionally don't have last names, and are instead addressed by their title or use the name of the county where they rule, like "Cambridge" or "Wales." That's why Harry is either called Prince Harry or Harry, Duke of Sussex—no further explanation needed. However, perhaps because baby Archie doesn't have a title, the palace has been referring to him as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Royal christenings normally have a public element to them and photographers are allowed onto the church grounds to capture moments before and after the ceremony. However, Meghan and Harry didn't let the public into Archie's ceremony at all and simply shared two photos (this one included) from the event.

Another thing that usually happens at a royal christening? The names of the godparents are revealed to the world. However, Meghan and Harry opted to keep the identities of Archie's godparents a secret, and released a statement saying, "The godparents, in keeping with their wishes, will remain private."

In June, Meghan debuted a few modifications on her engagement ring, as well as a new eternity band. The changes caused a bit of controversy, as altering a royal engagement ring is certainly unprecedented.

Meghan surprised fans in September when she arrived at the U.S. Open in New York City to watch her good friend Serena Williams' tennis match.

Come to think of it, the Duchess of Sussex is a big fan of making a surprise entrance, like when she accompanied Prince Harry to the Red Sox vs. Yankees game in London. Although this move excites royal fans, it's generally not done by other royals due to the extreme security measures required when they travel.

Harry and Meghan made their debut as a royal family on their South African tour, and they made it clear they wanted to shake up their image. Meghan and Harry asked fans to skip the HRH and simply refer to them as, well, Meghan and Harry. This was a move that completely dodged royal protocol.

The couple basically threw the royal handbook out the window for their African tour, because Meghan and Harry also decided to opt out of the nerve-racking curtsy protocol while on tour.

It's unheard of for a member of the royal family to speak out about their personal issues, so when Meghan and Harry decided to open up about their struggle as a couple dealing with the media scrutiny, it was a big surprise to almost everyone.

Meghan and Harry made this announcement on January 8, 2020. They also plan to work to "become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," and to balance their time between the United Kingdom and North America. As you might imagine, the Queen doesn't seem pleased about all of this.