Resurfaced Clip Shows Meghan Markle Breaking a Royal Rule and Being Disrespectful to the Queen
Back when Meghan Markle was a working royal, she broke a major protocol while seated beside the Queen.
US-born Meghan Markle struggled with the strict protocols of the royal fold during her time in the UK. Old videos of Markle at public events show the former actress’ ignorance of royal etiquette. In one such resurfaced video, the Duchess of Sussex can be seen inadvertently crossing her legs in front of the late Queen—an apparent faux pas, as royal protocol dictates women crossing their legs as a major blunder in Her Majesty’s presence.
Markle was never a fan of royal protocols, reportedly finding them cold and suffocating. In a viral clip posted by the Daily Mail recently, Markle can be seen with her husband Prince Harry, and the late Queen Elizabeth II at the Young Leaders Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The June 2018 video also captures the moment she realized her blunder, correcting herself by slanting her legs to the side. Royal expert Grant Harrold, told Yahoo! Life, “Ladies do on occasion cross their legs and it was a famous pose for Princess Diana but let’s remember that a royal lady certainly would not cross at the knees.”
This wasn't the only incident. During her first royal engagement, videos from the event showed the Duchess giggling with the Queen. But royal fans quickly spotted a glaring detail—Markle once again sat cross-legged in Her Majesty’s presence. Queen Elizabeth, however, didn’t seem to mind, as she was seen enjoying her company.
#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 another video, Markle was seen walking ahead of the Queen while accepting flowers from fans—breaking a major royal protocol—that no one publicly walks in front of the monarch. She also appeared to enter the car before the Queen. However, this myth was debunked by Daily Mail, which clarified that Markle stepped in at the Queen’s instruction as the monarch preferred the seat behind the driver. Etiquette expert, William Hanson, told the outlet, “This is just a case of habit, not protocol (which actually says the most important person sits diagonally behind the driver) but the Queen has always preferred being directly behind whoever is driving her."
After her first royal engagement, Markle praised the Queen, later revealing in her Oprah Winfrey interview that the monarch shared her blanket during their car ride. She said, “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 has always been warm.” Body language experts also spoke positively of the engagement revealing that Markle was a bit nervous but flattered to sit beside the Queen.
