Meghan Markle was lost in her silence amid Royals as a dated rule ensured she couldn’t be herself

Meghan Markle has opened up about her struggles with royal life, revealing how certain rules made her feel inauthentic during her brief time as a working member of the British Royal Family. The Duchess of Sussex shared her experiences in a recent interview with Emily Chang on Bloomberg’s The Circuit, coinciding with the release of season two of her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan.

The former Suits actress described how she felt constrained by royal protocols, particularly around her fashion choices and ability to express herself. During her 18-month tenure as a working royal, Meghan completed just 72 official engagements before she and Prince Harry stepped back from their duties in 2020.

Meghan was lost in her silence amid the royals as she explained to Chang that “it was different several years ago when I couldn’t be as vocal and I had to wear nude pantyhose all the time.” She went on to describe how this particular requirement felt completely foreign to her personal style. “Let’s be honest, that was not very myself. I hadn’t seen pantyhose since movies in the 80s when they came in the little egg. That felt a little bit inauthentic.”

Royal dress codes and the pressure to blend in

The pantyhose rule, while not an official written protocol, has long been an unwritten expectation for royal women during public engagements. Royal experts have previously noted that Queen Elizabeth II typically wore nude tights, with many royal women following her lead. However, some experts have clarified that this was more of a traditional practice than a strict requirement.

Meghan’s comments also touched on the complex color coordination rules that royal women must navigate during group events. She previously revealed in the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan that she understood she couldn’t wear the same color as Queen Elizabeth II or other senior royals at group events. This led her to choose muted tones like camel and beige to avoid any potential conflicts.

The duchess admitted that these restrictions made her feel like she had to suppress her authentic self. “It is an example of when you’re able to dress the way you want to dress and you’re able to say the things that are true and you’re able to show up in a space really organically and authentically, that’s being comfortable in your own skin,” she explained. Her experience reflects broader challenges that some have faced when joining the Royal Family, particularly those from different cultural backgrounds.

Meghan’s reflections come as she continues to build her life and career in California, where she now runs her lifestyle brand As Ever and produces content for Netflix. The timing of her interview, released the same day as her show’s second season premiere, suggests she’s now comfortable discussing the tensions that led to her departure from royal duties. She concluded her thoughts by saying she no longer feels the need to prove anything to anyone, indicating a sense of freedom from her previous royal constraints.