Meghan Markle had one hell of a year. She married the love of her life, Prince Harry; she's expecting her first child; and she became a royal. While being a royal may sound glamorous and all, the title comes with a lot of rules — emphasis on a lot. For starters, protocol states that greetings should never go beyond a handshake and selfies and autographs are prohibited. Women of the royal family should wear hosiery, sport neutral-colored nail polish, and always look perfectly polished. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Royals should also refrain from showing PDA during public engagements and shutting their own car doors. Sounds exhausting, right? Well, Meghan clearly seems to think so. Ahead, see all the ways the Duchess of Sussex marched to the beat of her own drum and broke royal protocol this year.
Royals aren't allowed to sign autographs due to security reasons, but Meghan made an exception for this young girl during her visit to Cardiff Castle in January.
The queen reportedly expects members of the royal family to wear hosiery, but Meghan rarely does, so that may change soon.
Proof that you can still look gorgeous without having to be perfectly polished!
Apparently, the charity worker told Meghan how inspired she was by the speech she gave to UN Women about female empowerment back in 2015.
All-black ensembles are usually worn at somber events like funerals.
These types of royal engagements are usually reserved for working members of the royal family, and Meghan was still only engaged to Prince Harry at the time.
Royals usually carry clutches to avoid any awkward moments when shaking hands.
Usually, royal brides don't get up and speak at their wedding. But then again, Meghan wasn't just any bride.
Meghan and Harry couldn't keep their hands off each other at the first Royal Foundation Forum in February.
Harry and Meghan kept the PDA coming during their royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in October.
They kissed after Harry completed the Sentebale Polo Cup in Windsor in July.
While royals usually leave their car doors to be shut by their protection officers, Meghan took matters into her own hands and closed her own door. Can you believe it?
Royals usually don't take selfies or sign autographs, but how could you say no to that adorable little girl?
Even though it may sound crazy, protocol states that royals should opt for neutral or pink nail colors for royal engagements.