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Have Harry and Meghan broken royal protocol?
You may have noticed that although the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very much in love, they are rarely pictured in public shows of affection.
Just like Charles and Camilla, and the Queen and Prince Phillip, Kate and Wills walk side by side and share sweet smiles, but you hardly ever see them holding hands, snuggling up or stealing a quick peck on the lips.
The same can’t be said however, of Prince Harry and his new fiancée Meghan Markle.
The pair made their first public appearance as an engaged couple on Friday, and there was one very noticable difference between their behaviour and that of other members of the royal family; they were not holding back when it came to PDAs.
The soon-to-be bride and groom were seen strolling hand-in-hand through the crowds, and holding onto one another as they visited the city of Nottingham.
So have they been breaking royal protocol? Well, maybe not.
According to royal etiquette expert Myka Meier, members of the royal family aren’t explicitly banned from showing affection in public, but it’s understood that they don’t as a matter of professionalism.
After all, they’re mostly out on official duty when pictured in public.
“There is no actual etiquette or royal protocol that says the couple must refrain from PDA,” she told People last year.
Referring to Kate and Wills she added, “The couple are likely to show very little PDA, if any, to remain professional during their designated roles”.
There’s also the fact that William and Kate are expected to be King and Queen of England one day, so it makes sense that they remain as professional as possible. Whereas Harry will drop down to sixth in line to the throne when his sister-in-law welcomes her third child next year.
Another reason Kate and Wills don’t break with the norm could be that they don’t need to convince the public of their affection for one another. After a scandal free six-years of marriage and a baby on the way, there’s little doubt that Kate and Wills’ relationship is chugging along smoothly.
As body language expert Robin Kermode, told the Daily Mail, “They come across as a strong, independent couple and while they are always on show, they do not feel the need to ‘show’ their love for each other to the world.”
Harry and Meghan set the tone for their relationship at the Invictus Games in Canada earlier this year, when they were also seen publiclly showing plenty of affection.
It was their very first public outing together, and it’s likely a cold reception would have sparked a flurry of breakup rumours, so it makes sense that they wanted to show their love for one another.
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