When Meghan Markle joined the Royal Family, she had to adapt to a strict set of protocols, including one that the late Queen Mother reportedly considered particularly significant.
The former Suits actress found herself bound by formal guidelines that were far removed from her previous Hollywood career.
During a March visit to a Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, sharp-eyed Royal watchers noticed Meghan reportedly engaging in behavior that would have been discouraged had she remained a working Royal.
The Duchess of Sussex posed for photographs with the children and subsequently signed them with her autograph.
Members of the Royal Family typically decline autograph requests. Some sources suggest this policy exists to prevent their signatures from being exploited for fraudulent activities, though the monarchy has never officially explained the reasoning behind this practice, reports the Express.
After Meghan Markle and Prince Harry relinquished their senior working Royal duties in 2020, Meghan is no longer obligated to observe the same Royal protocols when appearing publicly and supporting charitable initiatives.
Numerous members of the Firm, including the late Queen Mother, who passed away in 2002, adhered strictly to the monarchy’s formal conventions, prompting one New York Post columnist to suggest that witnessing Meghan signing autographs would have caused the Queen Mother to roll “over in her grave”. During her visit to the inaugural children’s picnic at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2023, Princess Kate was asked by a young student to autograph her name.
Adhering to Royal protocol, she responded, “I can’t write my name, but I can draw.”
When asked again for an autograph, the Princess of Wales clarified, “My name’s Catherine. I’m not allowed to write my signature, it’s just one of those rules.”
Royal observers have previously drawn parallels between Meghan’s conduct within the Royal Family and that of Prince Harry‘s late mother, Princess Diana. Speaking on This Morning, Royal correspondent Camilla Tominey told Ruth Langsford and Alison Hammond: “Meghan broke all the rules with selfies, high fives and hugs.”
She continued, “You wouldn’t have seen it back in the 40s and 50s but Princess Diana started these sorts of trends…Sometimes I think the public think the royals are stuffier than they are.”
Meghan was seen happily holding hands with people in the crowds gathered at the castle, even allowing one man to kiss her hand during a Royal engagement in Cardiff in 2018.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
