Meghan Markle [1] is officially the Duchess of Sussex [2], which will bring all the luxuries of life, but not without the odd sacrifice. Meghan may have gained a prince [3], however she's had to change many aspects of her life for the royals, including her career [4]. From etiquette to attire, now that she's married, Meghan will have to adhere to all the rules she may have overlooked [5] during her engagement.
Ahead, read all the ways Meghan's life has changed and will continue to change now that she is an official member of the royal family.
Tights Are a Must
We can't start this without mentioning Meghan's first appearance after the royal wedding, when she was seen wearing tights [6]. People seem to really care that Meghan chose to follow protocol when it comes to the queen's strict rule about wearing sheer tights, despite the warm May weather.
Compare this to the engagement photo call in November, [7] when Meghan went barelegged. It seems that since becoming a duchess, she's decided to adhere to this rule no matter the time of year.
No More Sitting With Crossed Legs
We probably won't see Meghan looking this casual during public events and engagements since marrying. Meghan will be encouraged to avoid crossing her legs in public, with the preferred pose to be crossing her ankles with her legs slanted at an angle, aptly nicknamed "the duchess slant." [8] We've all seen The Princess Diaries, right?
No Dark Colored Nail Polish
Meghan has always stuck to royal protocol when it comes to avoiding dark or brightly colored nail polish [9] at public events, but that probably has more to do with her personal style than any royal rules. Now, she has no choice. Nails must be groomed, clean, and painted with a light pink color (the queen's favorite is Essie, Ballet Slippers [10]). But as we learned at the wedding, simple nails don't have to be boring [11].
Say Goodbye to Selfies
The queen isn't a fan of selfies [12] because she likes members of the royal family to engage with the public and make eye contact. That said, there have been occasional exceptions [13]. Harry and William have been known to snap the odd selfie [14], and even the queen has ended up being an accidental participant in the past, but it's likely Meghan will avoid posing unless it's for a very specific reason.
The Extra Item She Must Always Pack
Since the queen's father, George VI, unexpectedly passed away while she was in Kenya, the royal family is now expected to travel with funeral attire [15] just in case. This is so the royal family doesn't have to return to the UK in unsuitable clothing. So from now on, Meghan will be expected to travel with an extra black or dark-colored outfit on her royal tours.
More Charity Work
One of the biggest changes for Meghan now that she's part of the royal family will be her change in career. Her role in Suits will be Meghan's last acting gig, as she will be unable to keep up both an acting career and royal duties. However, this does mean the duchess can now focus on the charity work [16] she's so passionate about.
No Autographs
The royals aren't allowed to sign autographs [17] when visiting and meeting with members of the pubic simply because it increases the likelihood of forgery. Meghan was thought to have made an exception for a young girl in the crowd whilst visiting Wales, but even then, she didn't actually sign her name. She apparently wrote the message "Hi Kaitlin" with a love heart instead.
No More Voting
The royal family remains publicly neutral in its political views [18], which means the Duchess of Sussex will not be casting her vote in any future elections.