5 Things Meghan Markle Was Allowed to Do That Princess Kate Wasn’t

Meghan Markle and Princess Kate both married into the Royal Family, but their experiences were not the same. While Kate has generally stuck closely to royal traditions and expectations, Markle was sometimes given more freedom to do things her own way.

Markle was already being welcomed into royal life before she had married Prince Harry. In December 2017, she joined the Royal Family at Sandringham for Christmas while she was still Harry’s fiancée. On the other hand, Kate was engaged to Prince William in 2010 but did not spend Christmas at Sandringham with the royals until they got married. Moreover, Markle also attended the Commonwealth Youth Forum in April 2018, a major royal event, just a month before she got married.

Markle did something that was not exactly typical for a royal bride when she gave a speech at her wedding reception. She spoke at the evening reception hosted by Prince Charles at Frogmore House, but Kate did not give a speech at her own 2011 wedding celebrations.

Markle had a baby shower in New York in February 2019, which was unusual for a British royal. Baby showers are much more common in the US and are not a traditional British custom. The celebration was also a lavish affair, with Serena Williams hosting and guests including Amal Clooney and Gayle King. Meanwhile, Kate was reported to be getting a baby shower before Prince George's birth, but those reports never came to anything, and no shower was held.

Markle and Harry did not follow the same tradition Kate and William had used for their children. When Kate gave birth to George, Charlotte and Louis, the couple appeared outside the hospital each time and gave the public the first glimpse of their newborns almost straight away. But the Duke and the Duchess took a more private approach with Archie. His birth was announced by the Palace, but there was no hospital steps appearance. Instead, they introduced him two days later at Windsor Castle with Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland.

Markle also did not always stick to the same style conventions that were expected of Kate. She made headlines for going without stockings at her engagement announcement and later appeared bare-legged at a London event. She also wore outfits that showed more skin than was usual for royal women, including an off-the-shoulder look at Trooping the Colour. Hats were another area where she sometimes took a more relaxed approach.