Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding took place last weekend, with the now Duke and Duchess of Sussex tying the knot at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in quite possibly the most star-studded and touching ceremony of all time.
But from entertaining the royal wedding guests to saying a few words, with Meghan delivering a groundbreaking speech at the royal wedding reception, the couple didn’t have much time to relax, with a lot of jobs and duties to carry out on the actual day.
From posing for the official wedding photographs to carrying out protocol, the couple will have been briefed for weeks, but for Meghan Markle there was one very important thing to remember to do for her sister-in-law Kate Middleton on the big day – and it surprised a lot of royal fans.
Meghan had to curtsy to the Duchess of Cambridge on the royal wedding day, and according to The Daily Express, it’s not about to change soon, with the publication reporting that Meghan will always have to curtsy to her sister-in-law and the monarch, with others added to the curtsy-recipient list if she isn’t with Prince Harry.
Confused? We’ll talk you through.
While some have voiced confusion at the rule, with Kate also born a commoner, it apparently all stems from when the rules were updated in 2012, after she married Prince William. But Prince Harry also affects the protocol, with his presence supposedly affecting her status.
Either way, Meghan will have to curtsy to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Charles and Camilla, and the Queen. But here’s where it gets confusing – if Prince Harry is not present, she will also have to curtsy to other royalty, including Princess Anne, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
If, however, Prince Harry is present, not only will she not have to curtsy to the ‘blood princesses’ as they are known, but they will actually have to curtsy to her as she will be assuming her husband Prince Harry’s rank.
It’s all very confusing and we just hope Meghan has people on hand to decode it for her.
This article originally appeared on Marie Claire UK
