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7 Rules Meghan Markle Has to Follow but Princess Eugenie Doesn’t

Meghan Markle and Princess Eugenie are both royal, but that doesn’t mean they abide by the same Queen Elizabeth-instated rule book. As the Duchess of Sussex, and the wife of the sixth in line to the throne, Meghan Markle’s required code of conduct is surprisingly more strict than that of Princess Eugenie, who technically isn’t a working royal. From careers to social media, here are seven rules that are vastly different for Meghan than they are for Eugenie.

meghan markle princess eugenie nails
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Mani-pedis

As a working royal, Markle is restricted to using neutral polish or none at all. Eugenie, on the other hand, can rock “Lincoln Park After Dark” any time she pleases.  

princess eugenie meghan markle hemlines
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Who Wears Short Skirts?

Members of the royal family are encouraged to dress modestly, meaning that hemlines at or below the knees are expected. However, since Eugenie isn’t a working member of the royal family, she can don a minidress without getting any flak from Gan-Gan. Case in point? Meg’s royal wedding.

princess eugenie taking a selfie
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Watch Your Self(ie)

Want to snag your own Meghan Markle selfie? Too bad. The duchess is not permitted to snap selfies with fans. Eugenie, however, is totally fair game.

meghan markle pantyhose princess eugenie legs
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Ugh…pantyhose

Markle didn’t begin wearing hose to public engagements until her first outing as a duchess. Kate Middleton, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and—you guessed it—the queen all wear nude tights while out and about. Eugenie is frequently spotted bare-legged.

Do It For The ’gram

Hearts broke when Meg shut down her Instagram account­ and blog (RIP) upon nearing her engagement, so why does Eugenie get to ha­ve one? It’s likely because, again, she’s not an official working royal and is able to participate in normal things…like sharing Friends memes.

meghan markle princess eugenie side by side l
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Is Being Royal A Full-time Job?

Which brings us to our next point. Although Eugenie is technically a princess, she isn’t required to attend as many royal engagements as Meghan Markle and is even able to hold a normal person job at an art gallery. In contrast, the duchess had to step away from her seven-season stint on Suits before becoming a part of the family.

meghan markle prince harry versus princess eugenie jack brooksbank engagement portraits
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(grand)mother May I?

Before tying the knot with Prince Harry, Markle required the queen’s permission. (Spoiler alert: She got it.) Eugenie, ever the independent woman, was able to say yes to her fiancé, Jack Brooksbank, without Gan-Gan’s nod of approval. 



lex

Cat mom, yogi, brunch enthusiast

Lex is an LA native who's deeply obsessed with picnics, Slim Aarons, rosé, Hollywood history and Joan Didion. She joined PureWow in early 2017.