Meghan and Harry Are Abandoning Royal Protocol On Tour And It's Deeply Confusing Officials
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reportedly abandoning royal protocol during their royal tour of South Africa.
Meghan and Harry want people to feel free not to bow, curtsy, or call them his/her royal highness.
So as you've probably noticed, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are in South Africa on royal tour. They've been there for about 5 minutes and things are already going great: not only was baby Archie spotted wearing a the same (or very similar) snow hat Harry wore as a baby, the Duke and Duchess had a cute PDA moment where Harry played with Meghan's hair. Honestly it's all just been high-key flawless!
But apparently this royal tour is expected to be somewhat unusual when it comes to *breathes heavy sigh* royal protocol. According to Vanity Fair reporter Katie Nicholl, Harry and Meghan are basically throwing protocol out the window—and it's causing some confusion for the people gearing up to meet them.
While security will be as tight as ever, Nicholl reports that the couple have requested there be as "little formality as possible." Meaning they don't want people to feel like they have to bow or curtsy, and they're happy to be called by their first names instead of his/her royal highness when meeting members of the public.
“It’s very much how they want things done,” a source says. “There is no protocol that says you have to bow or curtsy when you meet them, it’s really up to the individual.”
But again, some officials are confused. As Nicholl notes, secretary of the Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association, Jacky Poking, told the Sunday Times “I have no idea how to speak to them. We haven’t received any official brief on etiquette. I think that’s because the Sussexes want to keep it informal. I don’t even know how to greet them."
In other words: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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