Will Meghan Markle still have to follow royal fashion rules?

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It's almost time for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to officially step down and embark on their new royal plans. While some details such as security are still being ironed out - the new set up will be reviewed after a year - it looks like the couple are settling into their life in Canada nicely.

Although they won't be able to use their HRH titles anymore, they can start earning their own money, and pick and choose which projects they'd like to work on.

Another area where the Duchess of Sussex will have a bit more freedom is fashion. Like Kate Middleton and the Queen, Meghan had to abide by several royal etiquette rules such as not wearing diamonds before 6pm.

However now that she is no longer a senior member of the royal family, it's likely that she won't have to follow those rules as strictly anymore.

She has already pushed the boundaries by wearing shorter dresses, suits and black during the day, so it's likely she'll go back to her pre-wedding signature style before long. it is also likely that she will now be able to accept fashion gifts.

There will no doubt be certain exceptions, like when she and Harry come back to the UK to attend major royal events.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.

She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.