05 November 2023 , 07:00
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Meghan Markle married into the British Royal Family back in May 2018 when the former Suits actress got hitched to Prince Harry.
Leaving Hollywood behind, for a short while before returning, Meghan upped sticks and moved to England to live with her husband in Windsor. But in 2020, less than two years after getting married, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they would be stepping down as senior Royals.
Then, months later in the summer of 2020, the couple announced that they would be moving to California with their son Archie. They then soon announced they were expecting a second child, their baby girl Lilibet.
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Meghan Markle married into the British Royal Family in 2018 (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Duchess and her husband stepped down as working Royals in 2020 (AFP/Getty Images)But when Meghan was a senior Royal in the British Royal Family, the actress-turned-Duchess had to ensure she followed a string of rules - both written and unwritten. But what were some of the harsh rules that she had to adhere to?
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Nail polish
In 2019, a year prior to the couple announcing that they were stepping down from their duties as senior Royals, Meghan was seen in public for a performance of Cirque du Soleil that benefitted her husband's charity Sentebale.
While attending the glitzy event, Meghan wore a dark-hued nail polish on her toes to match her Roland Mouret gown. And because of this daring beauty choice, many people were quick to say that the Duchess was "breaking royal protocol" with the dark polish.
Royal protocol is a code of conduct for state occasions, with the colour of nail polish not included in this. But, however, the Royal family do tend to favour lighter manicures, with this perfectly demonstrated by the late Queen's favourite brand and shade that she regularly donned - Essie’s Ballet Slippers.
Signing autographs
Doing walkabouts and attending various engagement are part and parcel of being a Royal, but one of the things you can't do on a walkabout might surprise you.
Kate Middleton previously revealed at the Chelsea Flower Show that she was unable to write her name, but could draw a picture for some kids who she was talking to. She is said to have told one child: "My name's Catherine. I'm not allowed to write my signature, it's just one of those rules."
The Royal Family aren't allowed to sign autographs (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)And back in 2018, Meghan reportedly wrote something in the autograph book of a young girl named Caitlin, but failed to sign her own name due to it being against protocol.
According to various reports, Royals don't sign autographs for the public to prevent their signatures from being forged.
Crossing her legs
There's no written formal rule stating female members of the Royal family are banned from crossing their legs while sitting, but it is speculated that it is frowned upon.
Sitting a certain way is said to be frowned upon (Getty Images)Many fans expected to see Meghan sitting in the style of the "Duchess slant", which was originally coined by the Princess of Wales. But sometimes Meghan crossed her legs, like when she attended the Queen's Young Leaders Awards ceremony in 2018.
No pantyhose
During the Duke and Duchess' official photo session for their engagement announcement, Meghan chose to ditch pantyhose and flaunt her bare legs - which is something highly unusual for a member of the Royal Family. The late Queen Elizabeth wore them, Kate Middleton wears them, and Princess Diana wore them.
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Expressing her views
Members of the Royal Family are prohibited from expressing political opinions. The UK Parliamentary website states: "Although not prohibited by law, it is considered unconstitutional for the Monarch to vote in an election."
Meanwhile, the Royal Family's website states that the Monarch "has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters". But while these rules apply more so to the King or Queen, they do apply to all members of the Royal Family.
And Meghan seemingly broke protocol when she did things like call herself a feminist and appear to support a pro-choice stance, in turn providing the world with an insight on her political views.
Archie’s birth
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly waited to tell people that Markle was in labour until Archie had been born, something that is rare for members of the Royal Family.
They then shocked the world when they took a different approach to announcing Archie's birth, with the couple sharing an update on Instagram.
Archie's birth is reported to have broken several traditions (Getty Images)And then, when a traditional easel announcement appeared in front of Buckingham Palace almost 12 hours after the birth of Prince Archie, the name of the medics who delivered the baby were left off, which was yet another break in custom and long-followed tradition.
Accepting gifts
The Duchess is said to have broken rules once again when she accepted gifts. This is because members of the Royal Family should not accept presents which might appear to place them under any obligation to the donor, according to official Palace guidelines.