Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Altuzarra x Old Navy
    • Nanobrows
    • Megan Thee Stallion
    • Witchy Perfumes
    • Being Black at Bravo
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    The Moment Meghan Markle Turned to the Queen for Help on Royal Protocol

    Meghan got a little confused, as you would.

    Lucy Wood's avatar
    By Lucy Wood
    Published 14 June 2018 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Markle
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Your first public outing with the actual Queen is always going to be slightly nerve-wracking, so it’s understandable that Meghan Markle got her royal protocol a little mixed up. We’ve all been there, right?

    The newlywed Duchess of Sussex accompanied the Queen to Cheshire to open the Mersey Gateway Bridge and Storyhouse Theatre on Thursday morning, and looked stunning in a fitted Givenchy dress with a layered cape silhouette.

    Green, White, Fashion, Yellow, Street fashion, Hat, Headgear, Fashion accessory, Event, White-collar worker,

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    But while she definitely looked the part, Meghan was understandably still left confused about how this whole royalty thing works when faced with the age old question of, um, who gets in the car first? (Lord help her with all the forks when she sits down for dinner at the palace.)

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Green, Fashion, Event, Fun, Photography, Headgear, Fashion accessory, Smile,

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Worried about messing up without husband Harry around to give her a few pointers, Meghan asked the queen: “What is your preference?”

    Luckily, the Queen was pretty chill about the whole thing and kindly replied: “You go first.”

    You may like
    • Duchess Sophie wearing a blue top and looking to the left Duchess Sophie Admits She's Made This Royal Faux Pas More Than Once
    • Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) and Prince Charles at Victoria Station, London, where they will welcome a state delegation from Nigeria, March 1989. The Queen Didn't Want to Be "An Interfering Mother-in-Law"
    • Queen Camilla and Princess Kate attend the Order of the Garter in 2019 Camilla Had to "Step In" When Kate Got "Distracted"

    Meghan simply answered: “Oh, okay,” and you can bet that she’ll dive headfirst into the back seat next time.

    If only she’d watched The Princess Diaries more closely—she’d know that a Queen never slides in first.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    The Princess Diaries

    (Image credit: Disney)
    Explore More
    Meghan Markle
    Lucy Wood
    Lucy Wood
    Social Links Navigation

    Lucy Wood spends most of her time writing about celebrity news, reading books, and waiting for the glorious day that she have enough millions for a pet sloth. She also has a YouTube channel on the go where she pretends to know things about fashion and life advice.

    Read more
    Duchess Sophie wearing a blue top and looking to the left
    Royals Duchess Sophie Admits She's Made This Royal Faux Pas More Than Once
    By Kristin Contino
    Queen Camilla and Princess Kate attend the Order of the Garter in 2019
    Royals Camilla Had to "Step In" When Kate Got "Distracted"
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) and Prince Charles at Victoria Station, London, where they will welcome a state delegation from Nigeria, March 1989.
    Royals The Queen Didn't Want to Be "An Interfering Mother-in-Law"
    By Amy Mackelden
    Meghan Markle wearing a blue striped shirt
    Royals Meghan Markle Transforms Her Wardrobe from California to Cotswolds
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Princess Kate community lunch
    Royals Princess Kate Reveals Her Go-To Snack And How She Gets "The Children Involved" With Chores At Home
    Prince William wearing a suit walking with Prince Harry at Kensington Palace
    Royals William and Harry Had the Chance to Be a "Very, Very Powerful" Team
     
     
    Princess Kate hiking outfit
    Royals Princess Kate Proves You “Don't Need Expensive Gear” In “No Frills” Hiking Outfit
    Princess Kate manicure trend
    Royals Did Princess Kate Just Weigh In On This Controversial Manicure Trend?
     
     
    Latest in News
    Princess Kate community lunch
    Royals Princess Kate Reveals Her Go-To Snack And How She Gets "The Children Involved" With Chores At Home
    collage of the best celebrity looks at Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2027
    Celebrity Style The Celebrities at Paris Fashion Week Saved Their Best Looks for Last
     
     
    Prince William wearing a suit walking with Prince Harry at Kensington Palace
    Royals William and Harry Had the Chance to Be a "Very, Very Powerful" Team
    Princess Kate hiking outfit
    Royals Princess Kate Proves You “Don't Need Expensive Gear” In “No Frills” Hiking Outfit
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.