“Of course, she’s a novice when it comes to protocol,” said a Buckingham Palace insider. “She’s having to learn all this as she goes. The Duchess of Cambridge was a natural, however, Meghan Markle seems rather dense by comparison.”
Meghan Markle had her first joint appearance with Queen Elizabeth on Thursday, but unfortunately for her, she didn’t impress anyone with her understanding of royal protocol.
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“She looked like a fool,” said Ashley Winslow, a reporter for the BBC who was present for incident. “There’s a lot of expectation and a fair amount of competition. You see, Kate Middleton has ties to British aristocracy through her father, Michael. The Middletons have been receiving royalty since the early 1900s, so Kate was no stranger to protocol and etiquette.” But the same can’t be said for Meghan Markle. “Yes, well, Meghan is from the States. Her mother was a yoga instructor and her father was a scamp director of little renown. She’s quite common,” Winslow said.
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Despite her middle-class upbringing on this side of the pond, the Duchess of Sussex has done quite well for herself. After graduating from Northwestern University in Illinois with a degree in theatre and international studies, she began acting in small roles in television and film. Her most noteworthy role has been in the American legal drama Suits. In 2017, Markle announced her engagement to Prince Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, and retired from acting. She officially became the Duchess of Sussex upon their marriage in May of 2018. And with the world watching, she’s struggled to gain her footing in a formal world that bears little resemblance to the life she previously knew.
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“This has really endeared her to the public,” said Winslow. “In a lot of ways, she’s similar to Diana in that she flaunts convention. She’s accessible in that way.” So what happened recently that everyone’s making such a fuss over?
Meghan Markle stepped out in Northwest England on Thursday morning alongside the ultimate royal companion: Queen Elizabeth herself. The monarch wore a lime green suit dress by Stewart Parvin and a matching hat by Rachel Trevor Morgan.
The Duchess of Sussex wore a light beige pencil dress with a cape top by Givenchy, who also designed her wedding dress.
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Meghan, 36, and the Queen, 92, disembarked in Cheshire, some 200 miles from London, via the royal train in Runcorn after spending the night aboard. The train is a favored option for the Queen and other senior royals because it allows them to work and relax while traveling. When they disembarked, the pair were escorted to a waiting car. Meghan forgot her training when they got to the vehicle and an awkward moment quickly erupted…
“The Queen always sits behind the driver,” said etiquette expert William Hanson. “This is just a case of habit. Protocol actually says the most important person sits diagonally behind the driver, but the Queen has always preferred being directly behind whoever is motoring her.”
Video footage clearly shows Meghan first offering the Queen to get in the car first, which is actually proper. “The senior most royal official should always embark first,” said Hanson.
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But because the Queen prefers to sit behind the driver, which is on the right side of the car in the United Kingdom, Meghan should have entered the vehicle first. “Other royals who regularly travel with the Queen understand this nuance. There’s an exception to every rule and HRH Elizabeth II just happens to be this one in particular,” Hanson added. So what did Meghan do? The answer might just surprise you…
“She didn’t really know what to do,” said Ashley Winslow with the BBC. “The Queen just looked at her like, ‘Have you lost your mind, sweetie?’ But to her credit, Meghan recovered nicely.”
A clearly-flustered Meghan suggested that they switch around and asked the Queen, “What’s your preference?”
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“Queen Elizabeth, who is the ultimate master of decorum and all things protocol, led with her wit and charm,” said etiquette expert William Hanson. “She took Meghan’s hand and whispered, ‘Granddaughters go first today, dear. I’m following you.’ Isn’t that something?” But you see, the flub wasn’t Meghan’s fault or even the Queen’s idiosyncrasy. The mistake actually laid with the driver of the car…
“Let’s think about this for a moment. The driver knows that the Queen will want to sit behind him and that, per royal protocol, she should enter the vehicle first. The solution would have been to reverse the direction the vehicle was parked, placing the passenger side door in front of the Queen,” said Hanson.
This way, the Queen would have embarked before Meghan and then also been able to sit directly behind the driver.
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“The car would then have made a wide semi-circular arc to exit onto the main road,” added Hanson. “This would have been the proper course of action, but this driver is something of a louse. This isn’t the first time he’s screwed things up.” Andrew Keeling, 52, has driven for Prince Charles and also the Queen, to a lesser degree, for almost 18 years. But he hasn’t kept his job because of his professionalism or the high-quality of his work…
“To be perfectly frank, the only reason that Keeling still drives for the royal family is his father. Douglas Stanley Keeling, now deceased, cooked for Queen Elizabeth when she was a teenager and traveled with her extensively as a young woman,” said William Hanson.
Both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles were both very fond of Keeling’s father, and so extended many opportunities to his son, despite his less-than-stellar reputation and behavior.
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“From my understanding, Andrew hasn’t had a drink in many years, but there was a time when you didn’t want him behind the wheel of an automobile for any reason,” said Hanson. “And when you factor in the untimely death of the Princess of Wales, this becomes all the more important, doesn’t it?” And although there is a supposed history of impropriety, by all accounts Queen Elizabeth’s favorite driver is doing an admirable job today, the incident in Cheshire notwithstanding. But what does the Queen really think about Meghan Markle and her seeming lack of understanding when it comes to protocol?
Now that Meghan Markle is a member of the royal family, there are a plethora of rules governing royal etiquette and her behavior. And if she’s not able to master them, she’ll be in danger of constantly offending the Queen.
“Queen Elizabeth is from another generation and she’s a stickler for protocol,” said Ashley Winslow. “Not to follow it precisely is to draw her ire. Some of that is what happened with Diana, Princess of Wales.”
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The BBC reporter’s speculation has been confirmed by many independent sources in the years since Diana’s tragic death. To a large degree, her falling out with the royal family had much to do with her contempt for what she saw as outdated and stuffy conventions. Hopefully, Meghan will be able to maintain her American sense of independence, but also adopt her new family’s customs… And she’s got her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, to help her… Or does she?
“A lot has been made of the rivalry between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle,” said BBC reporter Ashley Winslow. “And there’s some truth to that. From what I’ve witnessed and heard from sources at Buckingham Palace, the two are very friendly. But there’s an unspoken competition for the favor of the Queen.”
But according to Winslow, there is really no contest. “The Queen loves both of her grandchildren and their respective spouses, but it’s always been clear that William is her favorite,” she said. “And by extension, that warmness and willingness to make allowances extends to Kate.” Of course, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are accepted and loved “all the same.” “She’s careful to not show favoritism,” added Winslow. “She actually terribly diplomatic in that regard.” Here’s the video of Meghan’s awkward faux pas in Cheshire… Enjoy!
Do you think Meghan Markle is CLASSY or TRASHY?