From what to eat to what to wear and even what to say and what not to say. Meghan
Markle has bucked tradition by following her own path and saying no to these royal rules.
Not only is Meghan Markle an American woman, but she's also a divorcée. She
married her longtime partner Trevor Engelson on September 10, 2011,
divorcing him only two years later. The last divorcée to marry into royalty was Wallis Simpson,
the twice-married American woman who stole King Edward's heart in 1936 and inspired him
to abdicate his throne so that they could wed. Luckily for Meghan and Harry, times have changed.
However, Meghan continued to make headlines for a completely different reason:
her ethnicity. Born in 1981 to a white father and African-American mother,
Meghan married into Britain's royal family as a proud biracial woman.
Though her race is quite a hot topic of discussion, Meghan has always faced
questions about her ethnicity head on. As she wrote in Elle in 2015,
"'What are you?' A question I get asked every week of my life,
often every day. [...] I'm an actress, a writer, the Editor-in-Chief of my lifestyle brand The Tig,
a pretty good cook, and a firm believer in handwritten notes."
Meghan doesn’t believe her looks define who she is. Instead,
she’s always felt a close connection to her great-great-great grandfather because,
as she writes in her Elle essay, “he drew his own box.”
A girl's gotta take a stand, and Meghan Markle has already taken many.
She’s especially taken the stand against the royal family's
tradition of refraining from publicly expressing personal beliefs and opinions.
Meghan posted a picture in 2016 to her personal Instagram page in which
she is believed to have been expressing her personal thoughts on Brexit. In the photo,
a woman's hand holds a cardboard sign displaying a clever play on the lyrics of Chicago's hit song,
"If You Leave Me Now." Meghan captioned the photo on her now-deleted Instagram,
"If EU leave me now..."
This led many to believe Markle possesses anti-Brexit views.
She also delivered a speech on International Women's Day in 2015 at the UN Women conference
in New York City. In her inspiring speech, Meghan details her own experiences with inequality,
citing a particular instance from her childhood in which she inspired
Proctor & Gamble to change the wording in a commercial to promote gender equality.
"Women are fighting greasy pots and pans."
"People are fighting greasy pots and pans with Ivory Clear."
When The Sunday Times reported that Meghan would be delivering a speech at her wedding reception —
a move virtually unheard of where royal weddings are concerned — the news didn't come as a shock.
While she's certainly proven herself to be much more than just a pretty face,
Meghan Markle's unique sense of style continues to be the cause of both praise and criticism.
Harper's Bazaar reported that the gorgeous white coat from Canadian
brand Line the Label that Meghan wore while she and Prince Harry publicly
announced their engagement has been renamed "the Meghan" by John Muscat, the brand's CEO.
Muscat spoke with WWD shortly after the royal announcement,
revealing that the coat sold out "within minutes," disappointing the millions of
women who suddenly found themselves vying for Meghan's style with no such luck.
However, the duchess has been known to find herself at the center of debate
surrounding her edgier sense of style. Kate Middleton is rarely seen wearing
jeans — and for good reason. Senior etiquette tutor Diana Mather tells BBC,
"Many places will not allow jeans as they are still seen as very casual wear,
so it is better to play safe for both sexes."
This obviously hasn't deterred Meghan, as she donned light-blue ripped jeans during
an outing with Harry in September 2017 to the Invictus Games. Some people took to
social media to declare their disapproval of her fashion choice, one person even writing,
"[Meghan is] obviously not bred to be a royal."
Judging from the pictures of the happy couple,
neither Meghan nor Prince Harry are letting a little ripped denim tear apart their romance.
Who doesn't love the butterflies you get when your special someone
holds your hand for the very first time, the warm and fuzzy feeling of snuggling
up together to keep warm on a chilly day, or stealing kisses while running errands?
Every person has their own opinion on PDA, but the general consensus seems to be that hand
holding is a G-rated version of public displays of affection — safe for kids and families alike.
However, royal etiquette expert Myka Meier told People,
there's an unspoken rule for royal couples to refrain from holding hands, saying,
"The couple are likely to show very little PDA, if any,
to remain professional during their designated roles abroad."
This explains why photos are rarely seen of Prince William and Kate Middleton
holding hands or touching each other at all — they're basically coworkers!
Nevertheless, their first official "work outing" saw the happy couple holding hands, wrapped in
each other's arms, and making sure the other was never too far away. I mean, can you blame them?
Just a few short years before Prince Harry and Meghan's engagement,
it's entirely possible that the couple would not have been allowed to marry.
However, this isn't due to Meghan's previous divorce, as one might think.
Far more important than marital history to the royal family is religious affiliation. As the
BBC reported, The Succession to the Crown Act that was passed in 2013 overturned a
rule which prevented members of the Royal Family from marrying a Roman Catholic.
Though Meghan reportedly identifies as Protestant,
she attended the Immaculate Heart girls' school, a Catholic school in
Los Angeles, from ages 11 to 18. In an interview with The Telegraph,
Meghan's drama teacher Gigi Perreau spilled the beans on her former student, saying,
"She was a wonderful student, a lovely girl even then, and very
hard working. She was very dedicated. I knew she would be something special."
When you know, you know!
Meghan and Prince Harry spent their holiday in December 2017 with the royal family at their
winter estate in Sandringham. According to the Prince himself, the couple "had an amazing time."
While it's not uncommon for us commoners to spend holidays with our significant other and their
family, the royal family has a bit of a stricter idea on what's appropriate before marriage.
Meghan's invitation to spend the holidays with her beau and his family came as a shock,
as royals are often only allowed to be accompanied by significant others if the two are wed.
Not one to be held back by silly tradition, Meghan was all smiles during Christmas Day celebrations,
speaking with members of the public and watching
the Queen's annual Christmas Day speech with Harry and the rest of the royal fam.
Meghan Markle may be our real-life Cinderella, but you'd better think twice before you call
her a "rags-to-riches" story. As royal correspondent Roya Nikkhah told CBS News,
Meghan is a "game changer" for the royal family for many reasons, the least of which not being
that she was famous and successful in her own right before becoming engaged to Prince Harry.
"It was so sweet and natural and very romantic, he got on one knee… Of course."
As fairy tales often go, Prince Charming rescues his beloved from a boring life of obscurity,
and singing mice, of course. However, Meghan isn't a woman who needs anyone to rescue her.
She quickly made a name for herself as the razor sharp Rachel Zane on the successful
American television series, "Suits." In addition, she founded a popular lifestyle
blog called The Tig, which she ran for three years before calling it quits in early 2017.
Her net worth was estimated to be around $5 million dollars prior to marrying into
the royal family, proving that Meghan was far from a damsel in distress when
she met Prince Harry. She's always been an independent working gal,
which is just another reason to have major girl-crush vibes.
If there's one thing we can say about the women of the royal family, it is that they
always look stunning. Meghan Markle is no exception but for the fact that she often
preferred to wear pantsuits instead of dresses when she was out and about on royal business.
According to Cosmopolitan, Queen Elizabeth II preferred that female members of the royal family
wear dresses and skirts instead of pants, which is why working royals like Catherine, Princess of
Wales, typically opt for classy, stylish dresses and skirts. While Meghan has worn dresses and
skirts, she has also often been spotted wearing pantsuits, most notably when she and Prince Harry
were walking the streets of Ireland in 2018 while paying an official royal visit to the country.
Later that same year, she wore pants yet again when she and Harry attended
the WellChild Awards. We'll admit, dresses are nice, but pants can be so much more practical,
especially if it's a very breezy day. Just saying.
In September 2019, Meghan Markle served as guest editor for Vogue. This was a
bold move and something no other member of the royal family had ever done. Meghan was
actually also the first-ever guest editor in the magazine's history.
While guest-editing the issue wasn't a breach of protocol in itself,
the topics Meghan addressed in the issue kind of were. The ruling monarch is not
allowed to take a political stance. The rest of the royal family follow suit and avoid
getting involved in politics by keeping silent about their political preferences and views.
As guest editor of Vogue, however, Meghan covered topics that sparked conversation and
criticism alike. She used it as an opportunity to celebrate transgender women and highlight causes
close to her heart. This led to many saying that she was being unnecessarily political,
with some dubbing her as "leftwing" for supporting certain causes, as The Guardian reported.
Thanks to all the praise and criticism the issue received,
though, it sold out within two weeks. Not bad for a first-time guest editor!
Meghan Markle isn't scared to stand up for what she believes in,
even if it bends or breaks a few royal rules. As royals remain politically neutral,
Meghan got into some hot water thanks to her passion for women's rights. When her
royal biography first appeared on the official royal website, it sparked some conversation and
controversy because she recounted the work she'd done to advocate for women's rights.
These statements were seen by many as breaking the rule of remaining neutral on political matters.
Meghan has also revealed that, like her, Harry is also a feminist.
Back in 2018, Meghan made waves when Irish senator Catherine Noone tweeted that Meghan
was "pleased" with the fact that Ireland's abortion law was being overturned to ensure
abortion is available to all and not just those whose lives are endangered by the
pregnancy. This put Meghan in a difficult position. The tweet was later deleted,
possibly because the senator realized her mistake. She replaced it with another tweet that read,
"I should say she seemed pleased — she was interested and very measured,
not political at all."
This seemed only to make things worse, so Noone ended up deleting that tweet as well.
Any fan of the royals knows that weddings are a big deal when it comes to this prestigious family,
and there are certain protocols and traditions that need to be followed. One such tradition
is that royal weddings always take place on a weekday. Whichever date is chosen is then declared
a bank holiday, and the British Commonwealth gets to take off work to watch the wedding at
home. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, however, decided to have their wedding on a Saturday.
The couple also broke royal protocol on the day of the wedding — they held hands,
which traditionally isn't allowed during the ceremony. Meghan also deviated from
the traditional vows by not promising to be obedient to her husband — in this case,
though, she followed in the footsteps of Princess Diana and Princess Catherine.
Then there was the cake, which was a lemon elderflower-flavored cake topped
with buttercream and fresh flowers — yum! But as delicious as it sounds, it wasn't in
line with royal tradition, which stipulates that weddings should be celebrated with a fruitcake.
Meghan Markle did things differently from the moment it was announced that she was
pregnant with her first child. She reportedly didn't make use of the royal doctors at her
disposal and opted for a natural birth plan, which consisted of hypnobirthing practices,
acupuncture, yoga, and consulting a doula, as reported by Vogue. She and Harry also didn't
share their birth plan with the world. An official royal statement revealed,
"Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal
decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private."
All of this was pretty unusual, but the biggest shock came when, instead of waiting for the
palace to release a formal statement first, Meghan and Harry announced their firstborn's
arrival on Instagram. The couple also didn't pose for a photo with their newborn outside
of the hospital. Princess Diana and King Charles III, then Prince Charles, started this tradition,
and Princess Catherine and Prince William honored it with the birth of all their children.
Harry and Meghan, however, did a small photo shoot two days after Archie's birth at St. George's Hall
at Windsor Castle. The couple also didn't follow the tradition of assigning a courtesy title to
Archie, and they didn't give him a name that is of any royal significance. To top it off,
Archie, unlike the rest of the royal family, doesn't have two middle names.
One thing you won't see members of the royal family do on official outings is hugging their
fans. Queen Elizabeth II frequently greeted people with a handshake. But Meghan Markle clearly enjoys
interacting with people. On some occasions, she's hugged fans and taken photos with them. Once,
Prince Harry even asked a fan who looked like Meghan to take a photo with her.
Back in 2018, Meghan made one wellwisher very happy while visiting Birmingham for
International Women's Day. While meeting with fans, Prince Harry came across Sophia Richards,
a young girl who told him she wanted to be an actress one day.
He immediately introduced her to Meghan, who told Sophia that she should believe in
her dreams and that she can't wait to see her on TV one day. She sent her off with a hug,
and People reported that the youngster described the interaction as "a dream come true."
Something else Meghan has occasionally done that also goes against strict royal
protocol is granting autographs. According to Express, royals don't sign autographs
for the public to prevent their signatures from being forged. On one occasion, though,
Meghan wrote a note saying "Hi Kaitlin" instead of signing her name. It should be
noted that Prince Harry and King Charles III have also bent this rule in the same manner.
"Were you silent or silenced?"
None of us could ever really know what goes on behind the palace doors, but Meghan Markle
has given us a glimpse. According to Time, the royal family's motto is "never complain, never
explain," and if that's true, Meghan has broken possibly the most important rule by going public
with what had been going on behind the scenes while she and Prince Harry were working royals.
The couple's shocking interview with Oprah Winfrey sparked public criticism and empathy
alike. From revelations that Meghan felt trapped within the royal family to her dwindling mental
health while she was pregnant and the concerns some members of the royal family reportedly had
about what her firstborn's skin color would be, the secrets she spilled in the interview
were unlike anything anyone expected. The couple also told Winfrey that they
experienced a "lack of support and lack of understanding" from royal family members.
In early 2023, Harry's book, "Spare," dropped even more bombshells,
while the couple's Netflix docu-series, "Harry & Meghan," gave fans an inside
look at what their lives as working royals were like. No other royal family members
have ever spoken this openly about life inside the palace, except Princess Diana.
On January 18, 2020, Queen Elizabeth II released a royal statement announcing that
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were stepping down as working royals. The statement read in part,
"I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense
scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life."
Meghan and Harry's exit from the family made a lot of waves — it's not every day someone leaves
the royal family, after all. The last time it happened was in 1936, when King Edward VIII
renounced the throne to marry the love of his life, Wallis Simpson. Simpson was a divorcee,
and royal protocol at the time forbade Edward from marrying her, so he gave up his throne instead.
Meghan and Harry left for different reasons, which had a lot to do with the media scrutiny
Meghan had to endure. Harry said in an episode of the couple's Netflix series,
"It's a dirty game. The
pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution, this feeding frenzy."
Meghan added,
"I realized they are never going to protect you."
Harry also revealed that he was afraid Meghan would end up in the same situation as his mother,
Princess Diana, who died in a car accident after being chased by reporters. After
stepping down from the royal family, the couple relocated to California.