Becoming a royal has taken some adjustment for Meghan Markle.
Becoming a royal has taken some adjustment for Meghan Markle.
The 36-year-old Duchess of Sussex has been expertly navigating her official royal visits since marrying Prince Harry in May, but a source tells People that she's found some aspects of royal protocol "difficult to understand."
“[She] has found certain rules in the royal household difficult to understand, like the fact that the queen prefers women in dresses or skirts rather than trouser suits, and is often asking Harry why things have to be done in a certain way,” the source tells the magazine.
“I think she finds it a little frustrating at times, but this is her new life, and she has to deal with it,” the source adds.
However, last month, a source told ET that Meghan has definitely been eager to step into her new role.
"Meghan has been anxious to jump in and learn as much as possible," a royal source told ET. "She's ready to work as much as she can on as many projects as they will allow."
"She has developed an increasingly close, warm relationship with [both] the queen and her father-in-law, Prince Charles," the source added. "She wants to please them and is doing whatever she can to educate herself to make sure she doesn't put a foot wrong."
Of course, Meghan has made headlines for breaking royal protocol. At the Young Leader Awards at Buckingham Palace last month, royal watchers were quick to notice she didn't adhere to the "duchess slant" royal ladies are supposed to exhibit while seated. She was instead photographed sitting next to Harry and the queen with her legs crossed.
Meanwhile, when it comes to her style, Meghan has largely followed royal fashion protocol, wearing stockings and sticking with light-colored nail polish. But it definitely appears she is finding ways to incorporate her own taste, like when she strayed from tradition at her first-ever Trooping the Colour parade last month by baring her shoulders in a custom pale pink off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera dress. She also rocked a black Givenchy pantsuit earlier this month during her and Harry's visit to Ireland.
A source told ET last month that she's still receiving advice and guidance from her best friend, stylist Jessica Mulroney.
"Like Kate does with her personal stylist, Meghan will receive outfits, look at sketches and discuss with Jessica what makes sense for her upcoming engagements," the source shared. "She's been also leaning on Samantha Cohen, assistant private secretary to the queen, and a much admired favorite of the queen in Buckingham Palace."
The source also noted that the former Suits actress definitely feels "welcome and loved" by the royal family.
"She has been warmly embraced by both Kate [Middleton] and Camilla [Duchess of Cornwall], and even Harry has been doing what he can to make sure she feels comfortable and at ease," the source said. "Harry, Camilla, Kate, along with [Prince] Charles, whom she's developed a particularly close bond [with], have all been doing what they can to make sure Meghan feels welcomed and loved."
On Tuesday, Meghan stepped out with Harry in a sleeveless pale pink trench dress by Canadian label NONIE -- a dress she had already owned before becoming a royal -- for the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition in London. The outing came after her father, Thomas, told The Sun over the weekend that he thought she looked "terrified" at official royal engagements and criticized her style.
“It really worries me," he said of pictures he's seen of her wearing what he called a "pained" smile. "I think she’s under too much pressure. There’s a high price to pay to be married to that family.”
“Why in 2018 are we dressing like the 1930s?" he also commented. "Why do they have to cover their knees?”
On Monday, a source told ET that Meghan and Harry "haven't had any contact" with her father lately.
"[They] are frustrated he keeps speaking to the tabloids and taking payment for interviews," the source said.
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