The unexpected royal rule Meghan Markle broke and why it was seen as disrespectful to the Queen.

When it comes to royal protocol, there is a seemingly endless list of rules to remember. 

There are specific rules that heirs must follow when attending events with the King. They are required to travel separately and not walk ahead of the monarch. Additionally, certain foods like shellfish are always avoided during meals.

But one of the most surprising rules is reserved for women and involves the way they sit. 

Female members of the Royal Family are expected to do so with their legs together and/or crossed at the ankle. 

The Duchess of Sussex was known to have trouble remembering this instruction and often crossed her legs instinctively. 

Recently, a video resurfaced showing Meghan sitting with Prince Harry and the late Queen at the Young Leaders Awards Ceremony held at Buckingham Palace in June 2018.

She is seen crossing her legs at the knee before correcting herself and slanting them to the side. 

The apparent etiquette faux pas caused royal fans to accuse Meghan of being as ‘disrespectful’ towards the Queen.

Meghan crossed her legs while sat with Prince Harry and the Queen at the Young Leaders Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace in June 2018

In the photo, Meghan is sitting with her legs positioned to the side, known as the ‘duchess’ or ‘Sussex’ slant. This sitting posture is commonly used by female royals to maintain poise and posture during extended periods of sitting.

The event was one of Meghan’s first engagements with both Harry and the late Queen.

Elizabeth II’s Young Leaders Programme celebrated the achievements of young people from across the Commonwealth, which was incredibly important to the Queen. She relished her role in binding its nations together. 

Earlier the same month Meghan attended an opening of a new bridge across the River Mersey in Cheshire – her first joint engagement with the Queen.

Footage which circulated on social media showed her stepping out in front of the monarch, breaking one of the most important – and easily remembered – royal protocols.

Despite the error, the Queen and Meghan seemed to get on well and the duchess was photographed making the Queen laugh.

Although conversations with the Queen are usually private, Harry later revealed in his 2023 memoir Spare that the pair bonded over their love of dogs. 

The Queen and Meghan seemed to get on well at the Cheshire event in June 2018

Despite often opting for the duchess slant, Catherine is seen with her legs crossed during a visit to Wales in February 2017

Meghan is seen with her legs crossed in 2013 before becoming a royal

And in another sign of their growing friendship, Meghan wore a pair of delicate pearl earrings, given to her by the Queen. 

Meghan would later wear these earrings to the Queen’s funeral in September 2022.

The following month, she spoke about her relationship with Elizabeth II in an interview with US magazine Variety, where she said: ‘I’ve reflected on that first official engagement that I had with her, how special that felt. I feel fortunate.

‘And I continue to be proud to have had a nice warmth with the matriarch of the family.’

The legs-to-the-side position is known in royal circles as the ‘duchess’ or ‘Sussex’ slant and is used by female royals when sitting for long periods of time to maintain ‘poise and posture’.

It is a position favoured by Catherine, Princess of Wales.

According to a former butler of King Charles, the duchess slant is also a way of preserving modesty when wearing a skirt or a dress.

It is also meant to make legs look longer and more elegant, as well as making sitting in heels more comfortable. 

Royal etiquette expert Myka Meier told People that crossing her legs at the knee is one of the ‘biggest etiquette mistakes a lady can make’.

Of the duchess slant, Myka said: ‘It’s sophisticated, protects vulnerabilities and looks fabulous in photos.’

There is no formal, written rule stating that women in the Royal Family are banned from crossing their legs while sitting. And although it may frowned upon, many have done so in the past. 

Princess Diana is seen crossing her legs during an event at the Red Cross headquarters in Washington in June 1997

Even the late Queen herself was photographed crossing her legs. Princess Elizabeth is pictured with King George and her sister Margaret on the grounds of Windsor Castle in July 1946

Catherine, Princess Diana, and even the late Queen have all been photographed sitting cross-legged in photos.

Queen Elizabeth, a ‘front row pro’, preferred to sit with her feet on the floor and knees aligned, but not quite touching.

Diana would often have her knees and ankles together and feet on the floor, slanting her calves at a 45-degree angle. 

Royal family members are taught etiquette and traditions by household staff from a young age but as Meghan married into The Firm at 36, she had not been brought up to understand all of the rules and customs.

Meghan had to learn how to give a proper royal handshake, to stand up when the monarch does and to avoid any PDA (public displays of affection).

Her training also included how to behave on royal engagements and learning about the intricacies of palace life.