Meghan Markle Had Already Broken One Critical Royal Rule When She Married Prince Harry

Prior to marrying Prince Harry, Meghan Markle lived a much different life than what is traditionally seen with most royals. Before walking down the aisle on May 19, 2018, she was a working actor, who landed roles in multiple productions across film and television. As part of her career, Meghan regularly signed autographs, which is notably a forbidden act that royals are strongly against. In May 2016, the Duchess of Sussex was spotted by celebrity autograph company TopPix greeting fans and handing out autographs in New York City, breaking this critical rule (although she wasn't technically royal yet). 

During this time, Meghan was still appearing on the hit legal drama "Suits," which she starred in for seven seasons. Therefore, the duchess was no stranger to interacting with the show's fans. In January 2018, months before her wedding and her final appearance on "Suits," Meghan penned a short, handwritten note for a young supporter. Though she didn't sign her name, the duchess did jot down the child's name with a heart and a smiley face. While this was her reality as an actor, even after exiting the show Meghan continued to hand out the keepsake when asked, seemingly never adopting the no-autograph policy. 

In March 2024, Meghan Markle visited the Los Angeles Children's Hospital. While there, she spent time speaking with and reading to the patients. The Duchess of Sussex also took photos with them using an old-school Polaroid camera. Meghan even signed several of the images after they were printed. Comparably, her sister-in-law does things much differently, even when kids are involved. In May 2023, Kate Middleton attended the first annual Children's Picnic at the Chelsea Flower Show in London. As she spoke with the students, several asked the Princess of Wales to sign their drawings, which she respectfully declined, clarifying that it was forbidden. As an alternative, Kate scribbled a few quick sketches for them instead. 

This wasn't the first time Meghan broke royal rules. Among her many other offenses was hugging. While most royals only show physical affection to children, the former "Suits" star is tactile with everyone.  This was demonstrated when she hugged a charity worker in January 2018. Meghan also embraced Beyoncé at the July 2019 premiere of "The Lion King." Another transgression was the duchess's lack of modesty in her wardrobe. This was most famously displayed in her engagement photos when she wore a sheer Ralph & Russo dress. Meghan's apparent defiance has long been a point of contention with royal watchers, though she's far from the only one to flout the rules. 

Meghan Markle's decision to sign her name for supporters is widely documented, meaning it's possibly another reason why Buckingham Palace was so consistently unhappy with her. However, King Charles III has reportedly granted an autograph on at least one occasion. Typically, His Majesty will give a short answer like "Sorry, they don't allow me to do that" when asked for his signature in public, per The Sun. Still, he allegedly gave a rare signature in 2010 to a victim impacted by the Cornwall floods, which led hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes.

The Firm has long implemented an autograph ban predominantly to limit the danger of signature forging. Therefore, it is almost impossible to get an autograph from the royal family. However, the exception to the rule is when signing visitors' books during official appearances. Multiple websites claim to sell authentic royal autographs, though there is no way to know how legitimate these actually are. Nevertheless, Meghan does not seem to be concerned with the possible resell market of her signature, putting personal interactions with her fans at the forefront.