10 royal-protocol rules Prince Harry and Meghan Markle no longer have to follow

Grant Harrold, an etiquette expert and former butler to Prince Charles, previously told Insider that it is frowned upon for the royals to touch their fans.

"As well as an etiquette rule, it poses a major security risk if someone is able to get so close that they are able to touch members of the royal family," he said.

Though that hasn't stopped Harry and Markle from hugging (and, in Markle's case, kissing) their fans in the past, this has usually been reserved for younger children they meet on royal walkabouts.

When he's been asked to sign autographs for fans, Charles is said to have responded by saying, "I'm sorry, they don't allow me to do that," Insider previously reported.

Markle broke this rule when she signed a 10-year-old girl's autograph book in 2018.

Markle left her role as Rachel Zane in the legal drama "Suits" before entering the royal family in 2018.

It wouldn't have been possible for the duchess to continue making her own income while receiving funds from British taxpayers.

Harry recently cited this as one of his and Markle's reasons they decided to resign from their roles within the royal family.

"Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible," he said.

The Times recently reported that Markle had signed a voice-over deal with Disney, which apparently plans to make a donation to the wildlife organization Elephants Without Borders instead of paying Markle — that could indicate the type of work Markle plans to do after royal life.

"As agreed in this new arrangement, they understand that they are required to step back from Royal duties, including official military appointments. They will no longer receive public funds for Royal duties," a palace representative announced earlier this month.

The duke and duchess were previously responsible for representing the Queen during visits to their patronages or during important public events, including Remembrance Day services.

Royal christenings are big on tradition, and Harry and Markle made sure to acknowledge this at Archie's ceremony in July.

He wore the traditional royal christening gown that has also been worn by Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

The gown is a replica of the royal christening robe commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1841. The original robe was worn by generations of royal babies, and the replica was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004 for the "fragile historic outfit to be preserved."

Like his cousins, Archie was also christened using water from the River Jordan, as it is said to be where Jesus was baptized.

However, this is something Markle and Harry had already slowly started incorporating before leaving the royal family.

Palace officials told Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair's royal correspondent, that Harry and Meghan were happy to be addressed by their first names during their royal tour of Africa.

This was a direct contradiction to the official guideline on the royal family's website that royals should be addressed as "Your Royal Highness." Additionally, women can be addressed as "ma'am," while men can be addressed as "sir."

Tim Rooke, a royal photographer for Shutterstock, previously told Insider that Harry and Markle were the most affectionate couple he had photographed.

"On my recent trip to Northern Ireland with Harry and Meghan, it was hard to not notice the amount of time she spent looking lovingly into his eyes," he said.

"I've not seen this much affection between two royals in my decades of shooting.

"Compared to Kate and William, they are much more affectionate in public which could be attributed to the different pressures placed on William as the next in line to become king. We don't often see Prince William and the Duchess holding hands, but the Sussexes do it if cameras are there or not."

The "never complain, never explain" mantra was first adopted by the queen mother when she became queen consort in 1936 and passed on to her daughter — Queen Elizabeth II — who appears to have followed the rule closely during her reign.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex broke this rule in their final months as working royals. In an ITV documentary about their tour of Africa, they spoke emotionally about how royal life had harmed their mental health.

"I tried to adopt this British sensibility of a stiff upper lip," Markle said in one of the interview segments.

"I tried. I tried. But I think what that does internally is probably really damaging."

The couple's communication with fans was also handled by Buckingham Palace's press office, which was in charge of sending out press releases for the couple and approving statements posted on their Instagram account.

The couple showed that they were no longer cooperating with the palace press team (or at least not to the extent they used to) when they announced their departure from their senior roles on Instagram in early January. This statement was said to have been sent out without the consent or knowledge of the palace.

Markle has worn various fascinators, coatdresses, and ball gowns as the Duchess of Sussex. However, when she's not a working member of the royal family, it's likely we'll see her revert to some more casual wear, such as jeans and jackets.

Harry has been spotted in the same $170 J. Crew blazer time and time again — or for black-tie occasions, he'll opt for a suit and maybe even a hat.

Like Markle, though, Harry now won't be attending these events and therefore has no reason to keep up with strict royal dress codes.

• Read more:
• Prince Harry wears the same $170 J Crew blazer time and time again, and a tailor says there's a good reason why
• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding souvenirs have been removed from the royal website
• How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's split from the royal family has shifted the dynamic of the 'Fab Four'