Whether the British monarchy frowns upon it or not, Meghan Markle will continue to blaze her own trail.
In the nearly two and a half years that have passed since the American actress-philanthropist officially became the apple of Prince Harry's eye, she's always done things her way. Unlike Prince William and Kate Middleton, who strictly adhere to the royal family's "rules" surrounding etiquette and the like, Harry and Meghan pride themselves on the modern flair they're bringing to the roles.
Such was the case throughout the Duchess of Sussex's pregnancy. For instance, the royal had a lavish baby shower in the U.S. and an unconventionally private birth plan. In fact, the couple kept most of the details under wraps so they could celebrate as a new family first. It's still unclear exactly where Meghan and Harry welcomed Baby Sussex into the world. While some suspect Meghan gave birth at the couple's home Frogmore Cottage, others believe she gave birth at a local hospital. The couple also kept their birth announcement cute and casual by writing "It's a boy!" on Instagram.
In addition, the two postponed the traditional photo op until days after the child's birth. As royal admirers will recall, both Princess Diana and the Duchess of Cambridge posed for photographs with their newborns outside the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's hospital in London. However, Meghan and Harry opted for a photo-call days after the birth and introduced the world to their little one at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. Meghan even switched things up with her outfit for the royal baby's public debut. The duchess opted for a sleeveless Grace Wales Bonner trench dress for the big event. The custom dress was a beautiful shade of white. She paired her dress with Manolo Blahnik BB pumps and a Jennifer Meyer gold turquoise necklace.
In addition, Harry held the child for the big reveal. As fans will recall, Kate cradled her little ones for their first photos. Although, she did let William hold George for a few snapshots. Diana also held Harry and William on the hospital steps when they were born. However, Charles was the one to initially hold William before handing him off to Diana.
What's more, royal admirers didn't find out about the child's name until after the photo-call. The proud parents have named their firstborn Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. When asked what it's like to be mother to "Baby Sussex," Meghan remained tight-lipped but let out a small giggle.
"It's magic. It's pretty amazing," she said during Wednesday's photo-call. "I mean, I have the two best guys in the world. So, I'm really happy."
To see even more instances when Meghan broke royal protocol, keep scrolling.
Additionally, Markle is the first person of mixed race to take a prominent place in the mostly white British royal family in centuries, reportedly, and the first American to marry into it since Harry's great-great-uncle Edward VIII sparked a constitutional crisis that led to his abdication in 1936 by marrying twice-divorced U.S. socialite Wallis Simpson.