Meghan Markle may’ve had the freedom to take selfies and sign autographs, but the newly minted Duchess of Sussex does not!
As you surely know, on Saturday, the American actress officially became a member of the royal family thanks to her wedding to Prince Harry. Understandably, this means that Meghan’s life has since drastically changed.
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In fact, there are all sorts of royal rules Miz Markle is now required to follow as a member of the Windsor family. We’re being completely serious.
Not only is Meghan’s style now dictated by royal decree, but also the way she walks and talks. For a breakdown of all the royal restrictions, be sure to proceed (below)…
1. Under no circumstance is Meghan to take a selfie. It’s said that the 36-year-old Duchess once told a fan that she and Harry are “not allowed to do selfies.” Apparently, this rule is meant to encourage commoners to make eye contact and conversation with the royals.
2. As selfies are a no-no, so is personal social media usage. As you surely know, all news regarding Harry, Prince William, and Kate Middleton comes from the Kensington Royal Twitter and Instagram pages. Thus, ahead of her marriage into the family, Markle had her IG and lifestyle blog go dark.
3. Meghan is to keep her signature to herself. NO AUTOGRAPHS! In order to prevent forgery, the Suits alum is not allowed to sign any autographs.
4. Dark and/or colored nail polish is prohibited. This explains why Meghan wore Essie‘s Ballet Slippers pink polish at the wedding. Oh, and it’s also Queen Elizabeth‘s favorite color.
5. Royals must ALWAYS travel with mourning clothes. This rule was instated after the then Princess Elizabeth and husband Prince Philip were blindsided by King George VI‘s death while abroad in Africa. The twosome were forced to travel from Africa to the United Kingdom in regular clothes. Nowadays, royals must always have a set of funeral clothes packed in order to be respectful.
6. No matter what occasion, female family members must always curtsy to the Queen. At official events, Meghan is also expected to curtsy to anyone who outranks her.
7. Short hemlines are a no-go! It’s believed that the Queen disapproves of skirts that are more than an inch or two above the knee. So Meghan better toss out those tiny red carpet numbers from her Hollywood days.
8. Speaking of Hollywood, Meghan seemingly can no longer pursue an acting career. She represents the British people now, so she has an image to uphold (and we doubt an acting gig in Tinseltown will help with that).
9. Meghan is discouraged from voting in British elections. Although UK Parliament says that it’s not against the law in Britain for royalty to vote, it’s viewed to be unconstitutional.
10. Markle can no longer cross her legs — in public, at least. She’ll be expected to perfect the “Duchess Slant” made famous by Princess Diana and proudly carried on by the Duchess of Cambridge.
11. Meghan will have to throw away her wedges, as the Queen despises them!
12. Assigned seating for life! At any royal family gathering, Meghan will always be expected to sit next to husband Harry.
13. Dinnertime is at 8:30 pm! When dining with Harry’s monarch grandmother, Meghan will have to be ready at 8:30 pm to eat. The meal will last no later than 10 pm.
14. Also, Meghan isn’t allowed to eat before OR after the Queen. Guests dining with the Queen can’t start eating until the monarch begins chowing down. However, once she is done, so is the rest of the dinner table.
15. Meghan can’t just walk into a royal room. During family functions, there’s a strict entrance line, which is as follows: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Duchess Camila, Prince William, Duchess Kate, and then most likely, Harry and Meghan.
16. If the Queen’s awake, so is Meghan! If Meghan crashes with Queen Elizabeth at all, she is required to stay up until the longtime royal falls asleep.
17. Monopoly has been banned! Supposedly, the Duke of York Prince Andrew previously revealed that the royals are “not allowed to play Monopoly at home,” as “it gets too vicious.”
18. In order to avoid food poisoning, Meghan can no longer enjoy shellfish. Now, not EVERYONE in the royal family adheres to this rule, but the Queen still does!!
Man, oh man. We hope Meghan has this list memorized!!
We’re wishing her only the best as she embarks on her new royal life!
[Image via WENN.]