Meghan Markle has fully embraced her new role as a member of the royal family since marrying Prince Harry more than a month ago.
While the Duchess of Sussex has had to learn all about the ins and outs of being royal, such as knowing who to curtsey to at social events, she has also shown that she’s willing to eschew royal tradition every now and then.
This was especially apparent at the royal wedding, when Meghan decided to begin the bridal procession alone following the news that her father would be unable to attend the event.
Furthermore, when Meghan was engaged to Prince Harry, she could be seen hugging members of the public on several occasions, something that the royals don’t often do.
The duchess has always been one to do things in her own way, which she’s demonstrated during her most recent official engagements.
Here are the ways that Meghan has broken away from royal tradition:
The off-shoulder neckline
Meghan decided to wear a pink Carolina Herrera dress with an off-shoulder neckline while attending the Trooping the Colour earlier this month.
A number of people celebrated her choice as a “feminist statement”, as the neckline was more low-cut than is typical of a dress worn by a female member of the royal family.
Grant Harrold, otherwise known as The Royal Butler, explains that Meghan's decision to wear an off-shoulder dress is her way of upholding her personal sense of style.
“The Duchess of Sussex is a lady who has her own style as with all the royal ladies and we will see her not only continue this, but develop it over the coming years," he tells The Independent.
Alexandra Fullerton, stylist, writer and consultant, believes that Meghan may have simply chosen the style as a matter of comfort.
“I do feel that while there may have been an ulterior motive behind her choice, Meghan simply chose a style she felt good in and wanted to wear,” she says.
The decision to go hat-less
A week ago, Meghan ventured on her first trip alone with the Queen when the pair visited Cheshire to open the Mersey Gateway Bridge and Chester’s Storyhouse Theatre.
Some wondered why the duchess decided not to wear a hat, especially considering the fact that the Queen was seen sporting one in lime green to match her bright outfit.
According to senior tutor for The English Manner etiquette consultancy Diana Mather, women in the royal family are usually expected to wear hats to formal occasions.
“Up until the 1950s ladies were very seldom seen without a hat as it was not considered ‘the thing’ for ladies to show their hair in public,” she told the BBC.
“But all that has changed and hats are now reserved for more formal occasions.”
However, it’s possible that the event may not have been formal enough to warrant a hat, despite the Queen’s decision to do so.
The royal wedding
The royal wedding, which took place on 19 May, was very traditional in a number of ways, as can be expected from such a regal event.
However, as a new member of the royal family, Meghan made sure to make her mark on the special occasion.
Prior to the nuptials, many people theorised over how the duchess would put her own spin on the proceedings, with some believing that she would walk the entire length of the aisle by herself.
Following the news that her father would not be able to attend the wedding, Meghan did begin the procession by herself, before being met by Prince Charles.
Furthermore, it was reported that Meghan gave her own speech at the evening reception, something which is extremely unconventional at royal weddings.
Meghan and Prince Harry broke away from convention in the lead up to their nuptials in many other ways, such as opting for an elderflower and lemon wedding cake as opposed to a fruitcake and inviting an American preacher, Bishop Michael Curry, to give a sermon during the ceremony at St George’s Chapel.
The friendly gestures
Meghan has even gone as far as to hug many people upon their first meeting, which isn’t in keeping with the traditional way in which members of the royal family interact with members of the public.
According to Mr Harold, this sort of behaviour is more common with the younger members of the royal family, as opposed to the older generation.
"It's something younger people do," he told Elle. "She's got her own way of doing things.
"You look at the energy of Princess Diana and she was very much somebody that would hug people. She was famous for it, wasn't she?
"None of the rest of the royal family hugged. It just wasn't the done thing. Now the younger royals, Prince William and Harry, you see them hugging... so it's their way of doing it."
Having lived the majority of her life without a royal status, it should come as no surprise that Meghan may find it unusual to drastically change her friendly ways.
The name tag at Ascot
On Tuesday, the duchess made her very first appearance at Royal Ascot where she presented jockey Frankie Dettori with the winning trophy alongside her husband, Prince Harry.
According to Town and Country, all members of the royal family who attend are expected to wear the name tag that they’re given upon entry.
However, Meghan decided not to wear hers, a choice which some have suspected could have been to do with the delicate fabric of her dress.
“Wearing pins has nothing to do with protocol,” Marlene Koenig, royal historian told Harper’s Bazaar.
“Protocol is for official, diplomatic, state events, [including] where you sit, when you enter etc.
“Perhaps [Meghan] did not want to ruin that nice Givenchy dress with a pin hole.”
The feminist statement
Meghan has made it perfectly clear for many years that she proudly identifies as a feminist, having given a speech about gender equality in 2015 as an advocate for UN Women.
Many wondered how the former actress would be able to balance her feminist beliefs with her new role within the royal family once she married Prince Harry.
While some may have assumed that it would have been tricky for her to do so, she proved otherwise on the day of her wedding.
Following the nuptials, Kensington Palace launched the Duchess of Sussex’s official page on its website, which details her past acting career and humanitarian work.
A paragraph is included on the page about Meghan’s work with UN Women, in addition to a quote from her speech, which reads: “I am proud to be a woman and a feminist.”
Meghan’s beliefs in gender equality, which she’s upheld since she was 11 years old, will clearly not be sidelined now that she's a royal.
