Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are on their second official royal tour since their wedding, bringing their four-month-old son Archie Harrison along to South Africa for the 10-day visit to the country. Upon arriving in Cape Town, the royal couple danced with locals and touched and hugged those who came out to welcome them.
Of course, the royals have a long list of protocols they have to follow when at engagements and usually shy away from being too informal with the public, but Harry and Meghan have bucked tradition the entire way through their relationship – something which isn’t about to stop now. In fact, Vanity Fair’s royal reporter Katie Nicholl is reporting that the Sussexes have requested as little formality as possible from those they’re meeting with.
Nicholl says the pair want “minimal fuss, formality, and protocol” on the trip with a source confirming to the publication, “It’s very much how they want things done. There is no protocol that says you have to bow or curtsy when you meet them, it’s really up to the individual.”
Palace aides also revealed that Harry and Meghan are happy to be addressed by their first names when meeting with members of the public, instead of royal titles such as ‘Your Royal Highness’ or formal greetings, such as ‘Sir’ and ‘Ma’am.’
While their relaxed demeanour is a breath of fresh air, it’s left those who are set to meet the royals a little confused about how to address them. “I have no idea how to speak to them. We haven’t received any official brief on etiquette,” Jacky Poking, secretary of the Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association, told South Africa’s Sunday Times ahead of meeting the couple on Tuesday. “I think that’s because the Sussexes want to keep it informal. I don’t even know how to greet them.”
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