Resurfaced Clip Shows Meghan Markle Breaking the Biggest Royal Rule During First Outing with the Queen

Meghan Markle’s 2020 departure from the UK freed her from the many royal protocols that had her feeling suffocated. Markle was never much for royal etiquette, which she found cold and uninviting. Having been born and brought up abroad, she was unaware of the British ways. A recently resurfaced 2018 video, from her first royal engagement with Queen Elizabeth II, shows just how clueless she was. In the clip, Markle, excited, violated a major protocol. She was seen walking ahead of the Queen—something strictly avoided in a time-honored tradition.

According to royal protocol, no one should publicly walk in front of the monarch. According to the Daily Mail, this rule isn’t just about politeness—it’s rooted in the royal order of precedence. As the clip went viral online, featuring Markle boldly striding past the Queen and accepting flowers from the crowd, royal watchers chimed in with disdain.

If not for the blunder, Markle’s first royal engagement with the Queen was otherwise a success, as she managed to make the Queen laugh. According to Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, the pair bonded over their shared love for dogs. Despite their bonding, Harry noted that tabloids reported the incident as an ‘unmitigated disaster’. He explained, “They portrayed Meg as pushy, uppity, ignorant of royal protocol, because she'd made the unthinkable mistake of getting into a car before Granny.” However, video footage from the event showed Markle offering to let the Queen go before her in the car. According to the Daily Mail, she eventually stepped in at the Queen's instruction before the then 92-year-old monarch followed her into her preferred seat behind the driver. Royal expert Tina Brown also wrote of the incident in her book The Palace Papers that the Queen had a 'twinkle in her eye' when she allowed Markle to take precedence.

#MeghanMarkle, the Duchess of Sussex accompanies #QueenElizabeth on their first solo trip together — and look at how happy they look! pic.twitter.com/XGFhUMlQ9o

— InStyle (@InStyle) June 14, 2018

In a March 2021 interview with CBS, Markle also revealed that the Queen offered to share a blanket during the outing. “We were in the car going between engagements, and she has a blanket that sits across her knees for warmth. She was like, 'Meghan, come on’, and put it over my knees as well… and it made me think of my grandmother, where she's always been warm and inviting and welcoming.” Chiming in on the outing, body language experts told the Daily Mail that Markle appeared deferential and nervous but flattered to sit beside the Queen.

Markle wasn't the only royal who violated a major royal protocol. Her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, stopped wearing gloves in public to connect with the people. During a visit to Guernsey, then-Prince Charles also allowed a fan to kiss him on the cheek. This act of intimacy is a big no-no for royal family members. The Queen herself also broke the rule when she gracefully hugged Michelle Obama during a 2009 State Visit.