14 Outrageous Royal Rules Meghan Markle Will Have To Follow Post-Marriage

Being a one of a kind ceremony in many ways, American girl Meghan Markle’s wedding to Prince Harry was the most anticipated and the highest televised event of the year, with a whooping 1.8 billion audience who watched it worldwide. And while it may seem that being a royal is a fairy tale come true, Meghan’s royal duties after the wedding, aren’t going to be all tea parties, castles and tiaras. Being a member of the royal family isn’t easy and it requires every family member to abide by a certain set of strict rules that are not to be broken at any given time, and The Duchess of Sussex is no exception to them.

From the length of her skirt to entering a room in a specific way or making sure not to cross her legs, Meghan will need to adhere to a slew of royal rules in order to survive in the royal family and stay in the Queen’s good graces.

1. No Exposed Legs

 

Once upon a time it was unthinkable for women to venture outside without a pair of stockings, but nowadays most of the women aren’t afraid to go out flaunting their bare legs. However, the woman of the royal family wouldn’t dare step out without sporting a pair of tights. Yes, this rule may seem a little constricting, but it is among some of the hard and fast rules that royals have to follow. All royal women are required to cover their legs with tights when they’re out in public. Kate Middleton can be seen wearing a pair every time she makes a public appearance. Although a pair of colored or black tights are acceptable, the most common color you’ll see is nude. Although Meghan has flaunted her bare legs in the past, only time will tell if she continues to do so or abide by the royal rule.

2. No Social Media Accounts

 

Social media acts as a brand for many celebrities where they show the world what they want them to see. But the royals are not normal celebrities. They aren’t allowed to have their personal social media accounts. Official accounts like Kensington Royal post pictures of the royal family, but these accounts are extremely curated. So, while Meghan may have had a huge social media following in the past, she will have to delete all her accounts or hand them over after her marriage.

 

3. No Low Cut Dresses

 

It is probably one of the least shocking aspects of life as a member of the royal family, but the Queen frowns on excessive displays of cleavage. But wearing dresses with a high neck line isn’t always what the royal women do, and Meghan being from the show biz is certainly not going to be the one to do so. You might’ve seen royals carrying beautiful clutches small enough to do the trick; one which Princess Diana pulled off all the time, calling the clutches her ‘cleavage bags’. Princess Diana was the most photographed women in the world. And in order to avoid showing any more skin than she should, she always used a tiny clutch against her neckline when in public to avoid being photographed inappropriately. We hope Meghan has a clever trick up her sleeve to avoid such an incident.

 

4. No Selfies

 

The royals like to portray a sophisticated image and taking selfies in public just doesn’t add up to it. Although Meghan is known to click selfies with fans and post them on social media. She will not be allowed to do so. During her first Royal event after the marriage, a couple asked her to take a selfie with them, to which she politely declined. It is also rude to have your backs facing the royals so instead of taking selfies, the royals are more happy to have a conversation face to face.

 

5. Mourning Dress

 

All royal women are required to pack a funeral appropriate dress comprising of black clothes when they travel no matter when or where they travel. The royal family is a subject of intense scrutiny in public and it would be highly inappropriate if they were seen wearing a set of bright clothes if tragedy occurred in the family. This rule was added by the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth ll in 1952. While she was travelling to Kenya with her husband Prince Phillip, she received the tragic news that her beloved father had passed away. She didn’t pack appropriate mourning clothes, so she had to wait in her plane on the runway until a suitable outfit could be brought to her. It was an embarrassing experience and one she hopes no one has to encounter due to lack of proper planning.

 

6. Follow the Queen

 

During grand dinner parties with the royals, everyone is required to follow the queen. For instance, you can not start eating before the Queen and once she has finished her meal, it is considered rude to continue eating after her. It is a pity if you’re a slow eater, but rules are rules. Also when the Queen stands, all the guests attending the dinner are required to stand after her in respect. The royals should be prepared to eat dinner at 8:30 PM which is to be finished off by 10 PM. And if, by any chance, any one needs to leave the table, they will have to politely excuse themselves and quietly walk away. But if they’re excusing themselves in the middle of the meal, they are expected to cross their utensils on their plate so that the wait staff knows that they’re not finished eating.

 

7. No More Voting

 

Meghan will no longer be able to vote after her marriage as it is forbidden for the royal members to cast their votes. The  reason behind this rule is while the royal family are technically allowed to vote in political elections, the Royals choose to be impartial and diplomatic towards all candidates. And though Meghan has always been forward over her political affiliations, where she has even called Donald Trump as a misogynist in the past, she won’t be able to voice her political opinions in the future.

 

8. No Dark Lip Shades or Nail Colors

 

It is forbidden for royal family members to wear bright colors such as red on their lips or nails. They can however wear pale or muted colors. Pale colors are a sign of high class and sophistication. The Queen choses to paint her nails in Essie’s ‘Ballet Slipper’ when she wants to look especially fancy. Kate Middelton on the other hand swears by the color ‘Allure’ from the same brand and even wore it on her wedding day. Meghan Markle was seen wearing the Queen’s favorite, Ballet Slipper, at her wedding and we have a feeling that the color is here to stay.

 

9. No Autographs

 

With a whole pride of Suits followers, Meghan might have signed many autographs in the past, but the royal family prohibits giving out autographs in any form. This royal rule revolves around the fear of getting their signatures forged by unscrupulous people. So, apart from royal documents and visitor’s books in some cases, Meghan won’t be allowed to sign her name liberally.

 

10. No Crossed Legs

 

It’s frowned upon for Royal Family members to cross their legs. The legs can either be kept flat on the ground together or can be crossed only at the ankles. You’ll never see Kate Middleton crossing her legs anywhere other than at her ankles. Kate often does a side-by-side move known as “the Duchess Slant”. Meghan better be working on her Duchess of Sussex slant!

 

11. No Wedges

 

When it comes to shoes, royal women know better than to wear wedge style shoes in front of the Queen. They can get away by slipping into a pair on occasion, but apparently the Queen just can’t stand them for whatever reason. Wearing heels is encouraged for women of the royal family, but only if they are kept to a proper and manageable height. Also, all women members of the royal family are required to pack at least one pair of beige pumps when they’re travelling. Did someone call the shoe police?

 

12. No Taking Off Coats

 

You’ve probably seen Kate Middleton wearing a ton of enviable coats. These are gorgeous and sell out almost instantly whenever she steps out in one. But if she happens to wear a coat, you’ll never see her shed it. For some royal reason, taking off your coat is considered to be unladylike, and it is only to be done in the privacy of your own home. So if a royal is grabbing a coat to wear out, she is making a huge commitment, since she can’t take it off if she changes her mind.

 

13. No Eating Shellfish!

 

This is one of the weirder rules on the list. The royal family isn’t allowed to eat shellfish. But the reason behind it isn’t really any kind of dietary restrictions or to stay thin. Shellfishes are unpredictable. People often come down with food-related  illnesses after consuming shell fishes. The royal family abides by a very strict schedule. They have lots of appearance to make and even more business endeavors to attend to. They can’t risk spending a few days is bed due to food poisoning or an upset stomach. Some royals do break this rule and eat shellfish from time to time, but even the royals who break the rule don’t make it a habit.

 

14. No More Monopoly

 

Yes, another even weirder rule that the royals have to follow is to stay away from the age old board game, Monopoly. In 2008, the Leeds Building Society gifted Prince Andrew, Duke of York, with this game. But he admitted that the royals weren’t allowed to play it because the competition would get “too vicious.”