How Meghan Is Rewriting the Royal Rules: Duchess Meghan
is revolutionizing the monarchy — one kiss at a time!
WHEN Meghan Markle arrived at London’s Royal Academy of Arts on Sept. 25 for her first solo event as the Duchess of Sussex, she exited her chauffeured vehicle, gamely shook a greeter’s hand and — gasp! — shut her own car door. The gesture — which strayed from royal family protocol, in which attendants tend to pesky things like door-closing — sent royal watchers’ tongues wagging. But it was just another subtle way that the duchess has taken a stance against stuffy tradition. “Meghan’s always been independent,” explains an insider, “and she’s started writing her own rules.”
MAKING WAVES
From the moment Meghan, 37, married Prince Harry in May, she’s been upending centuries-old traditions. There was the wedding itself, in which biracial divorcée Meghan walked herself halfway down the aisle, approved a modern ceremony that quoted Martin Luther King Jr. and gave her own speech at the reception. And since officially becoming a duchess, the former Suits actress has willfully shaken up the status quo — subtly sharing political opinions (forbidden among the royal family), exchanging blatant PDA with her groom (which Prince William and Duchess Kate seem to strictly avoid), and making sleeveless and pantyhose-free fashion choices that leave traditionalists aghast. A palace insider claims that, though Meghan secretly took etiquette lessons after getting engaged to Harry, she still insists on not doing everything by the book. “She’s balancing her desire to be her own person with her respect for the queen and her duties,” says the insider. “She takes her new job extremely seriously, but she also wants to be a trailblazer in bringing the monarchy into the modern age.”
LEAVING HER MARK
Though Meghan may be ruffling some stuffy aristocrats’ feathers, her down- to-earth ways have endeared her to the masses. A source claims that the duchess is “always chatting to the palace staff and is a big hit with them. Meghan is such a warm person that it’s hard not to like her.” The insider adds that Meghan’s aversion to protocol has even brought her closer to her new sister-in-law, Kate, who “finds Meghan to be a breath of fresh air. Kate loves that she’s so passionate about her charity work and unwilling to conform to the outdated rules. They have such a special bond.” Meghan, who recently released a charity cookbook to support victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London, also managed to bond with the women whose recipes are featured — even visiting the
kitchen to cook and eat with their families. A source claims Meghan was inspired by the late Princess Diana’s hands-on charity work. “Meghan has so much admiration for Diana, and this is one way she’s paying tribute to her mother-in-law.” Meghan’s bold, independent choices and commitment to charitable work would no doubt make Diana proud — just as it does Harry. “He adores Meghan and is in awe of the way she’s handled her entire life being turned upside down,” says a source. “Together, they’re ready to change the monarchy forever — even if that means bending the rules.”
HOW MEGHAN MARKLE IS MODERNIZING THE MONARCHY