Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Meghan Markle Had to Memorize the Most Complicated Curtsying Rules When She Became Royal

    When Meghan Markle became a member of the royal family, she had to memorize a complicated set of curtsy rules, as royal expert Omid Scobie explained.

    By Kayleigh Roberts
    Published 4 April 2019 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    BRITAIN-ROYALS-CHRISTMAS
    (Image credit: ADRIAN DENNIS)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter
    • The British royal family is known for having all kinds of rules, protocols, and etiquette procedures to follow.
    • When she married Prince Harry and joined the royal family, Meghan Markle was tasked with learning all of those rules.
    • According to royal expert and commentator Omid Scobie, one of the most complicated sets of rules Meghan had to memorize involved curtsy etiquette. Scobie explained the ins and outs of royal curtsy rules in a new interview with Katie Couric.

    Think marrying into literal royalty sounds like a rom-com fairytale come to life? Well, the real-life version includes way more homework than Disney princesses ever seem to go through.

    Meghan Markle learned that firsthand when she married Prince Harry and had to memorize a bonkers list of royal etiquette rules, including some seriously complicated curtsying protocol.

    In a new interview with Katie Couric, royal expert and commentator Omid Scobie broke down the way family hierarchy impacts who curtsies to whom. Here's how Scobie explains it:

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    So basically: Anyone senior to Harry (like the Queen, for an obvious example), Meghan has to curtsy to, all of the time. But, when it comes to royals who are junior to Harry, it all depends on if he's in the room too. If he is, Meghan is essentially elevated to his rank. If he's not, she has to bow down.

    Head spinning? Mine too.

    You may like
    • Meghan Markle holding Prince Harry#039;s arm wearing LA Dodgers hats Meghan Markle “Is Taking One for the Team” For Prince Harry By Moving to Britain
    • Meghan Markle wears a gray blazer and sits next to Prince Harry, who has balding red hair Some Royals Might "Continue to Avoid" Harry and Meghan
    • Princess Kate Middleton has long brown wavy hair with blonde highlights and looks to the sky while wearing a dark green coat "The Burdens" Princess Kate Experiences as a Royal Woman

    For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

    subscribe here

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    RELATED STORIES

    Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Visit The East Midlands

    (Image credit: Anwar Hussein)

    Why the Queen Let Kate Break a Balmoral Rule

    Street fashion, Outerwear, Plaid, Tartan, Fashion, Smile, Electric blue, Design, Pattern, Jacket,

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Meghan Markle Is the Top Royal Style Influencer

    Explore More
    Meghan Markle
    Kayleigh Roberts
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

    Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

    Read more
    Meghan Markle holding Prince Harry#039;s arm wearing LA Dodgers hats
    Royals Meghan Markle “Is Taking One for the Team” For Prince Harry By Moving to Britain
    By Kristin Contino
    Meghan Markle wears a gray blazer and sits next to Prince Harry, who has balding red hair
    Royals Some Royals Might "Continue to Avoid" Harry and Meghan
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wearing sunglasses walking outside
    Royals There's a "Significant" Reason Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Moving to the U.K.
    By Kristin Contino
    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle holding hands walking
    Royals 7 Reasons Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are Moving to the U.K.
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte with their heads together at the Commonwealth Games
    Royals Princess Charlotte Had a Special Backstage Experience Orchestrated by Mom Kate
    Prince Harry looks at Prince William on the Buckingham Palace balcony as both wear military uniforms
    Royals Prince William's Stance on Prince Harry Has Changed to a "Cold War"
     
     
    Duchess Sophie wearing a lime green dress with a purple sash
    Royals Duchess Sophie Embraces Fall's Unexpected Color Clashing Trend
    Prince Harry riding an ATV with Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie with their dog running behind
    Royals Princess Lilibet Shares One of Mom Meghan's Favorite Hobbies
     
     
    Latest in News
    Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte with their heads together at the Commonwealth Games
    Royals Princess Charlotte Had a Special Backstage Experience Orchestrated by Mom Kate
    collage of New York Fashion Week guests and celebrities wearing the statement skirt trend
    Fall fashion New York Fashion Week's Easiest Outfit Formula Starts With a Statement Skirt
     
     
    Prince Harry looks at Prince William on the Buckingham Palace balcony as both wear military uniforms
    Royals Prince William's Stance on Prince Harry Has Changed to a "Cold War"
    collage of the best celebrity looks at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival
    Celebrity Style TIFF 2026's Best-Dressed Stars Are Bringing Their Fashion A-Game to Toronto
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.