Meghan Markle Defied Royal Protocol at Her First Solo Event and Closed Her Own Car Door

Yesterday was a big day for Meghan Markle—she arrived at London’s Royal Academy for her first solo engagement as Duchess of Sussex (opens in new tab). As per usual, the Duchess looked stunning and sophisticated, opting for an elegant black Givenchy dress and Aquazzura bow pumps (opens in new tab) for the memorable occasion.

Even for someone as confident as Meghan, it’s impossible to imagine the nerves and pressure that she must have been feeling when pulling up to the Oceania exhibition, without husband Prince Harry (opens in new tab), or any other royal family members, to lean on for support while the world was watching. With that in mind, it’s totally understandable that the Duchess, on arrival, may have accidentally defied royal protocol (opens in new tab) with one subtle but independent move.

Proving that she’s not like a regular Duchess, she’s a cool, strong Duchess who don’t need no Prince Charming by her side (at least, not all the time), Meghan took the bold move of closing her own car door when stepping out of her ride for the evening. I know, I know—sharp intake of breath, audible gasp, prepare the dramatic music, slow motion door close.

It might not sound like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but, according to royal family Twitter, it definitely is. It’s almost totally unheard of for an on-duty royal to shut their own door. But Meghan stepped out of the luxury car and pushed the passenger door behind her while greeting her host, without giving it so much as a second thought. Special mention goes to the guy who did step forward to shut it for her, but then probably thought: "That's it, I'm fired."

Whether it was down to first solo appearance nerves which pushed protocol to the back of her mind, a forgetful member of staff who literally had one job, or perhaps a conscious decision from Meghan to remain down to earth, the not-so-insignificant moment has caused a small storm online.

With all of this strong solo door closing, top secret solo traveling (opens in new tab), and of course her exciting solo project charity work (opens in new tab), maybe it's time for the Duchess to start only appearing in public when Destiny's Child's "Independent Women" plays in the background.