The newly minted Duchess of Sussex may be seamlessly falling into life as a royal, but Meghan Markle is still having trouble with “difficult” royal rules.
Since her May 19 royal wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle has seen herself go from an actress on Suits to one of the most popular British Royals, and while she has embarked on several royal trips and is adjusting to her new life, she is reportedly having trouble understanding a few royal rules.
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“[Markle] has found certain rules in the royal household difficult to understand, like the fact that the Queen prefers women in dresses or skirts rather than trouser suits, and is often asking Harry why things have to be done in a certain way,” a source told PEOPLE. “I think she finds it a little frustrating at times, but this is her new life, and she has to deal with it.”
While the new member of the Royal Family has mostly aced her first months as a duchess, she has had a number of royal faux pas, two of which occurred during the Young Leaders Reception at Buckingham Palace in June.
Markle was accused of being disrespectful to Queen Elizabeth after she chose to sit with her legs crossed at the knees rather than the ankles, a position dubbed the “Duchess slant” that is favored by the Queen and Kate Middleton. However, her choice for seating position was not an outward dash against royal protocol, as one etiquette expert pointed out that Markle had chosen the traditional ‘finishing school’ technique.
During that same event, Prince Harry rejected Markle’s attempt to hold his hand, pulling away as she reached for it, as the Royal Family tends to be traditional and modest when it comes public displays of affection. However, while holding hands is not explicitly banned, it is considered to be an unwritten rule following in the likeness of Queen Elizabeth.
“The Queen rarely holds hands with her husband in public and this seems to have set an unwritten precedent for the other royals,” body language expert Robin Kermodetold the Daily Mail.
It likely will not take long for the Suits alum to overcome the difficulty of royal procedures, as she is currently undergoing six months of “princess school” with the Queen’s assistant private secretary, Samantha Cohen.
During her royal training, Markle will learn tips about royal travel and charity events, royal protocol, as well as how to react in certain situations.
