Kate Middleton, 41, must follow these five royal rules. Meghan Markle, however, does not have to. She can vote in elections, take selfies with fans, and wear bold fashion choices.
Middleton became a full-time working member of the royal family after she married Prince William, 40, in 2011. And, since the Prince and Princess of Wales are likely to become the next king and queen of England, there are many rules and protocols that Middleton must follow which Markle, 41, never had to. The Duchess of Sussex was a full-time working royal for just under two years, but by January 2020, Prince Harry and Markle announced they were stepping back from royal duties and relocating to North America.
The Royal Rules Kate Middleton Has To Follow But Meghan Markle Doesn’t
Middleton has always been held to a higher standard when it came to royal rules because of her more senior position within the family. Specifically, she has also been expected to follow the royal-style rules than Markle But since the 41-year-old resigned from her royal duties, there are even more protocols that she has been allowed to break. Here are just a few of these rules.
1. Attending The Royal Christmas Day Church Service Before Marriage
Every Christmas Day in Sandringham, the royal family gathers for church. Afterward, all members of the royal family are usually invited (even those who don't have titles) and they all walk out together to meet members of the public. Royal family members' partners are usually not invited unless they're married. Middleton only joined for the first time after marrying Prince William in 2011. Markle, on the other hand, was invited to join the church service after her engagement to Harry in November 2017 before they married in May 2018.
2. Voting In Elections
Members of the royal family are not allowed to vote in elections, according to the royal website. They are supposed to remain politically neutral and it may be against protocol for royals to openly discuss politics in the media. After marrying Prince Williams and joining the royal family, it's thought that Middleton no longer votes in the UK general elections because royals aren't supposed to vote. Prince Harry revealed during the unveiling of the 2020 TIME 100 in September 2021 that he hasn't voted in the UK his "entire life." Markle, who was born in America, voted in an election in 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's charitable foundation Archewell shared a photo of Markle wearing an "I voted" sticker.
3. Abiding By New Baby Protocol
Middleton and Prince William followed a number of royal baby rules. They took photos on the hospital steps after all three births of their children. The couple also participated in a royal christening where each child wore a christening gown that had been passed down for generations.
Markle and Prince Harry broke some of these protocols when their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, was born in 2019. They did not take photos at the hospital. Instead, they invited a few photographers to Windsor Castle two days after he was born. With the second child, Lilibet Diana, the couple had already left the royal family and the birth was kept completely private—no royal photo call and no public christening. Now, King Charles recently announced royal titles for Archie and Lilibet.
4. Following Royal Fashion Rules
Both Markle and Middleton are expected to wear hats to formal events in the daytime, and tiaras to formal evening events. When the Duchess chose not to wear a hat for her first royal engagement with the queen in 2018, many believed that the fashion choice was a mistake. Markle recently said in their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan that she would wear neutral colors because she couldn't wear the same color as the monarch or other senior royals. Now that Markle stepped back from royal life, she has worn bold colors and more casual outfits. Middleton, who regularly attends events, is held to much higher fashion standards.
5. Taking Selfies With Fans
Finally, members of the royal family are not allowed to take selfies with the public. Markle has since broken this rule after quitting her royal duties. It is worth pointing out that Middleton has also broken this rule. In January of this year, she took a selfie with an anxious fan and comforted him, "Please don't worry, it's okay. We all get nervous," as shown in a video posted to Twitter.
