The Dos and Don'ts of Royal Dress Code: A Look at Meghan Markle's Rule-Breaking Outfits
One of the reasons Prince Harry and Meghan moved to the US was probably the Duchess' desire to escape the strict rules of the British royalty — including the royal dress code, which she often breaks.
Royal women should not wear black.
Well, they are expected to have a black ensemble to put on when in mourning, but for any other occasion, the color black is generally prohibited. Prince Harry's wife seems to love this color way too much (and we can't blame her) — so she often wears black, even for official outings.
The dress protocol also regulates women's evening gowns in terms of the depth of their necklines and how much of the body can be revealed.
For daytime dresses, exposing body parts is generally not allowed. Once again, Meghan often ignores this rule and puts on dresses and blouses that let her arms and shoulders be seen.
Another instruction in the protocol states that female royals must wear thin, flesh-colored tights at all times — bare feet are unacceptable.
Meghan, on the other hand, prefers to follow the Hollywood custom of wearing no tights at all, as any outfit looks just as good without them.
For a prince's wife, there is just one thing that's worse than not wearing tights: wearing black tights.
But Meghan Markle and, surprisingly, Kate Middleton often violate this rule. Both ladies regularly step out in black tights, and no one seems to object — perhaps because their style is otherwise impeccable.
According to the style code laid down by Queen Elizabeth II, only translucent skin tones and pink are acceptable for royal manicures. This means that colored nails are also against the protocol, but the Duchess of Sussex does wear bright nail polish occasionally.
Women in the royal family must show restraint and moderation in their clothing and jewelry. Three large rings on one hand, paired with a bracelet — that's certainly very stylish, Meghan, but your husband's grandmother wouldn't approve of it.
Besides the dressing guidelines, the style code also includes rules on how to hold yourself when wearing certain clothes.
For instance, putting hands in your pockets at formal events is normally frowned upon — but to wean herself off that habit, Meghan should probably stop wearing clothes with pockets altogether.