All The Ways Meghan Markle Broke Protocol | Reading the Royals

Meghan Markle's Brief Royal Tenure

• 💡 Meghan Markle's time as a working royal lasted only 22 months, from May 2018 to March 2020, yet generated a significant volume of headlines.
• 🎯 During this short period, she committed over a dozen instances of breaking royal protocol, averaging one breach every two months.
• 🧠 The speaker suggests these breaches were a conscious, committed rebellion, not accidental mistakes, implying she was "authoring" a larger narrative.

Intentional Style Choices

• 🎭 As an actress for two decades, Meghan had an acute sense of the power of costumes in storytelling, influencing her protocol breaches, especially regarding clothing.
• 👗 Her engagement photo featured a sheer gown, deemed "sheer audacity," and she appeared with bare legs at her engagement announcement, defying the tradition of wearing tights.
• 🎾 At Wimbledon, she wore trousers in the royal box and later jeans, breaking dress codes for official appearances, and chose dark burgundy nail polish at the British Fashion Awards.

Designer Preferences and Public Image

• 🇬🇧 Meghan frequently opted for non-British designers for significant events, such as Givenchy at the British Fashion Awards and Dior for Archie's christening, contrasting with other royals like Catherine who favored British designers.
• 👜 She used a crossover bag on walkabouts, allowing her hands to be free, a departure from the traditional clutch bag used by royals to avoid unsolicited handshakes.
• 💖 Meghan and Harry consistently displayed public affection, such as handholding, which was a stark contrast to the restrained behavior typically expected of royal couples like Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

Challenging Traditional Etiquette

• 🏖️ During a visit to Bondi Beach, Meghan removed her shoes and went barefoot, a symbolic act that defied the royal tradition of keeping shoes on during official engagements to signify work.
• 👑 She wore an off-the-shoulder dress at Trooping the Colour and appeared without a hat alongside Queen Elizabeth, despite being informed the Queen would wear one, making a clear statement.
• 💄 For her final royal engagement, Meghan wore bold makeup, going against the protocol for royals to avoid subtle looks in public.

The Psychology Behind the Breaches

• 🔍 The speaker posits that Meghan's protocol breaking was intentional and purposeful, not a series of mistakes, suggesting she was trying to convey a message.
• ⚠️ Her departure, or "Megxit," is presented as a deliberate choice to reject royal life after a short period, unlike Princess Diana's exit which was due to marital breakdown.
• 💡 The repeated breaches are interpreted as a sign that Meghan was "never really here to stay," indicating a fundamental misunderstanding or rejection of the "contract of the crown."