Meghan and Harry throw out royal rule book on tour

They’ve bucked tradition ever since they were given the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still flouting royal traditions on their latest tour.

The much-loved 35-year-old duke and 38-year-old duchess are currently on their ten-day tour of South Africa with baby Archie, where yesterday they made two public engagements together.

And in true Sussex form, they didn’t hold back in showing their affection to members of the public, throwing their arms around kids and dancing up a storm with locals.

Breaking royal protocol?

While it may be extremely rare to see the Queen or even Prince William and Kate Middleton hugging the public, the Sussexes are becoming known for embracing their fans.

According to Prince Charles’ former butler, Grant Harrold, there’s a more sinister reason why other members of the royal family don’t engage as much with their admirers.

During the Sussexes tour of Australia, the couple’s boat pulled up alongside team USA to congratulate them at the sailing event of the Invictus Games.

One competitor jumped aboard their boat and gave Prince Harry a massive hug, which the couple loved.

“This would be a breach of protocol as Prince Harry did not offer it first. It could also be a security issue, however, the prince seemed to take it in good humour,” Grant told Yahoo Style.

“Traditions and protocols have evolved over time, but there are no written rules.

“Our generation is different and the way we act is different, so why should it be any different for the royals?”

Princess Anne won’t shake hands, let alone hug

If Harry and Meghan’s royal tour of Australia is anything to go by, their time in South Africa will be full of engaging moments with the public.

Meanwhile, the Queen’s daughter Princess Anne, is one member of the royal family who isn’t known for her physical affection.

She explained on ITV’s Queen of the World documentary why she doesn’t shake hands with everyone she meets.

She said: “We never shook hands, the theory was that you couldn’t shake hands with everybody, so don’t start, so I kind of stick with that, but I notice others don’t.”

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