How Meghan Markle Altered Her Veronica Beard Shirt Dress so it Would Adhere to Royal Protocol

After almost six months as a fully-fledged member of the royal family, the Duchess of Sussex (opens in new tab) is becoming a dab hand at the complicated art of royal protocol. While she and husband Prince Harry definitely aren’t ones to play by the rules of tradition (opens in new tab) all the time, Meghan Markle has adjusted to most of the expectations that come with being a Duchess - including some pretty dramatic transformations to her wardrobe (opens in new tab).

One of Meghan’s latest looks on the royal tour is a prime example of how her life as a Duchess comes with a little more second guessing than it did before. For the couple’s second day in Tonga (opens in new tab), she stepped out in an effortlessly lovely shirt dress—but fans have spotted the subtle but important ways that Meghan had adjusted the design to be a lot more Duchess-Friendly.

Bringing bright block colors to her ongoing maternity wardrobe of dreams (opens in new tab), Meghan chose a bright blue Veronica Beard shirt dress for a visit to Tupou College. She styled the piece with an open collar, rolled-up sleeves, a tied waist and a pair of comfortable and affordable light blue Banana Republic (opens in new tab) pumps.

But fans soon noticed that Meghan’s version of the shirt dress featured slight but important changes to that shown on the designer’s website. While the original Cary dress worn by the model features much more extreme thigh-high slits, Meghan’s own piece has clearly been adjusted to knee heigh—probably to adhere to royal protocol and expectations, and to avoid any annoying eyebrow-raises.

Veronica Beard Cary Dress, $595 SHOP IT (opens in new tab)

Meghan's choice to alter the gorgeous shirt dress comes just a few days after she wore her striped Reformation dress which featured a similar thigh-high split (opens in new tab).

It might seem a little crazy to be focusing on the length of a leg slit, but it just goes to show that the Duchess of Sussex really does have to consider every fine detail of each of her outfits whenever she steps out in public. No pressure, Meg.