These Royal Rules Meghan Markle Has To Follow Now That She's A Duchess Will Make You Say "Whoa"

If you got up at the crack of pre-dawn on Saturday morning to watch the royal wedding like me, you're probably still fascinated with all things Meghan Markle. It's super easy to lapse into the fantasy world of imagining what her life must look like now, picturing the grand balls and tiaras and handsome princes from the Disney movies of our youth. But it turns out, living life as a royal might actually not be all that great. Especially if you like making your own choices and such. So when you hear about these six royal rules Meghan Markle has to follow now that she's officially the Duchess of Sussex, you might be a bit more OK with the fact that your beau isn't a real prince. Well, maybe...

The American actress has a long, storied history of identifying as a feminist; I mean, she even went so far as to refer to herself as a feminist on the royal family's website. Which might make living within the strict rules set by Queen Elizabeth II, her grandmother by marriage, slightly difficult.

Fortunately, there are also some perks to being a part of the British royal family. Both she and her new husband, the Duke of Sussex, reportedly share a real passion for philanthropic work, which will serve them well in their new roles. The British royal family is devoted to serving the people of Britain and beyond, so that should provide some comfort to the former Suits actress as she tries to wrap her head around the new laundry list of rules she's now expected to follow.

No Selfies, Please

If you ever thought you might get a chance to take a selfie with the Duchess of Sussex, you've missed your chance. According to royal family etiquette expert Jennifer Gehmair, there's a strict no selfie rule. She told Smooth Radio:

Turning your back to the Duke and Duchess and taking a selfie is discouraged if at all possible. I know it's fun to do, but they much would rather see your face.

No autographs either, guys. So if you run into Meghan Markle in the ladies' room some day, you probably won't be able to prove it.

No Bright & Colorful Nail Polish

OK! Magazine reported that the queen is anti-dark nail polish. Which is fine for her, but she has also reportedly decreed that no woman in the royal family can wear dark nail polish; not that classy Meghan Markle seems fussed. She wore the queen's favorite shade, Ballet Slippers, on her wedding day, as E! News reported.

Keep On Curtsying

Not only will the Duchess of Sussex have to curtsy to the queen every time she enters a room (one can assume even if she simply left the room for a minute, which seems nutty), she'll also have to curtsy to her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, according to News Hub. But I feel like they'll make it into a private joke.

Forget About The Leg Crossing

She can't cross her legs anymore, according to Hello! Magazine. Also she can't wear wedges, as Hello! Magazine explained, at least in front of the queen, and mini skirts are simply out of the question. While I'm comfortable with the no mini skirts clause, as someone who wears wedges every time I have to walk on grass, this gives me pause.

Hold That Fork, Girl

There are a whole lot of rules about royal eating; nobody in the family eats shellfish, for instance, to avoid food poisoning, according to E! News, which makes sense, I guess. But this is a big one; according to Style Caster, no one may eat until the queen eats... and if she's not that hungry, guess what? You have to stop eating as soon as she puts down her fork. I hope she's a big eater.

Rocking All Night Long, Queen Elizabeth Style

If the queen wants to stay up all night, according to MSN, the Duchess of Sussex has to stay up all night too. Because no one goes to bed before the queen.

These are just a few of the rules Meghan Markle will have to follow as the Duchess of Sussex, but don't worry about her at all; according to Yahoo, one of the queen's senior advisers is reportedly giving her Duchess lessons. Which should be the title of the next Hallmark movie I watch, if you ask me.