Meghan Markle defies the 'duchess slant,' once again!
Meghan Markle has probably found her royal sitting posture - 'the Sussex sit' - just like Kate Middleton's 'Duchess slant.' At the RAF centenary in London today, Meghan was yet again spotted sitting with her legs crossed, right behind the Queen. While some royal-watchers accused her of showing disrespect to the royal heritage, experts say that there is nothing wrong with her choosing to create an identity with her own style.
Like Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan has also adapted to the royal way of living - abiding by certain manners and etiquette - however, she did have a minor slip-up during a party at the Buckingham Palace, recently. People's Simon Perry managed to capture the exact moment when Megan sat cross-legged next to her husband Prince Harry but quickly managed to incline her legs to maintain the 'Duchess slant' poise. The event was organized to celebrate a group of young leaders from across the world.
For today's event, Megan picked a deep navy blue Dior dress.
People quoted Myka Meier, royal etiquette expert and founder/director of Beaumont Etiquette, who explained that the "biggest etiquette mistakes a lady can make" is to cross her legs at the knee. Meier said women should sit with their knees and ankles together as a sign of modesty, "It’s sophisticated, protects vulnerabilities and looks fabulous in photos."
She further said, "The 'Duchess slant' has been adopted at royal outings when a lady 'has to sit for an extended amount of time' while keeping poise and posture. It is the perfect pose for when a camera is shooting directly in front of you because by slightly slanting the knees to create a zig-zag effect when wearing a dress or skirt, your legs are angled so that the camera only shoots the sides of your legs and protects your modesty.
The Royals, however, seem to be pretty casual about this rule.
Meghan isn't the only royal lady to have broken the rule. During an interview with BBC about her coronation, the Queen herself was seen sitting cross-legged on camera. The interview aired in January.
William Hanson, MailOnline's etiquette expert, said that although royal women should avoid sitting cross-legged yet Meghan has not broken any rules. "Although used to be the custom that ladies (royal or non-royal) would never cross their legs, clearly the Duchess of Sussex is finding her own style and comfortable seating position by crossing her legs. Correctly, however, she is not letting there be too much of a gap between her ankles, which can look very ungainly when done by women or men."