As a member of the royal family there are certain rules and protocols that should be adhered to but because Kate Middleton is a senior member she is expected to follow even stricter ones than Meghan Markle ever had to

Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle has made sure to take advantage of the royal rules she doesn’t have to follow, although even Kate Middleton has broken one before.

There’s obviously a certain etiquette that comes with being a member of the royal family. There are also unwritten rules that they follow with certain individuals expected to maintain a higher standard than others.

Because Kate Middleton is a more senior family member, being married to the heir to the throne, Prince William, she was always required to stick to the more formal ones. In contrast Meghan Markle was permitted to bend certain rules when she was a working royal, presumably because her husband Prince Harry was further down the pecking order – or the ‘spare’ heir as he has referred to it.

Since the Sussexes stepped down as senior royals and relocated to America in 2020, clearly Meghan is free to follow her own rules, which she has taken full advantage of. But there was a time when she did as she was told too. Here are the five rules, according to BusinessInsider, that Kate has to follow but which don’t apply to Megs.

Christmas Day celebrations

Kate wasn’t allowed to attend the family’s Christmas Day celebrations at Sandringham until she was married to Prince William. The royals gather for morning service at church and then traditionally take part in a walkabout where they meet and greet members of the public.

All members of the family are invited, even those without a title, but their partners are not, until they are married. Kate first attended the day in 2011 after she and William had wed. It seemed the rules were bent for Meghan though because she first joined the service in 2017, after her engagement the month before to Prince Harry.