Meghan Markle's major royal protocol breach during engagement announcement to Prince Harry

Royal women tend to follow old-fashioned rules when it comes to their hosiery, with most wearing stockings even in warmer temperatures, but Meghan Markle did not follow the exact royal protocol on her engagement day.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced their engagement to the public at Kensington Palace's Sunken Gardens which included a photo call on November 27, 2017.

The outfit of choice was a white coat dress with a tied waist from Line the Label, worn over a green sheath dress by P.A.R.O.S.H. However, Meghan chose not to wear stockings under her dress at the announcement of the impending nuptials, instead, showing off her bare legs.

As reported in USA Today, royal commentator, Richard Fitzwilliams explained that "nude stockings, though not her usual style, are expected" by the Palace.

However, Meghan's attire could have been predicted because before marrying Prince Harry, Meghan was pictured often wearing casual clothes to engagements. At the Invictus Games 2017 in Toronto, Meghan donned a simple white shirt with ripped blue jeans and flats.

Speaking about Meghan's potential change in style once marrying into the family, Mr Fitzwilliams at the time also remarked: "The ripped jeans she wore at the Invictus Games are a thing of the past."

However, Meghan was also expected to be seen as a more "approachable" royal compared to other members of the Royal Family. For instance, while some royals often carry clutch bags to keep their hands occupied and avoid unwanted handshakes, Meghan switched the royal custom up by wearing bags with shoulder straps or handles.

Mr Fitzwilliams commented: "A handle or shoulder strap is, therefore, more her style if she wants to reach out, shake hands and touch more or hug."

As well as the photo call, Harry and Meghan also sat down with the BBC for an official interview. Years later, in the couple's six-part documentary series 'Harry & Meghan' released on Netflix, Meghan called it a "rehearsed" and "orchestrated" moment.

In the documentary series, the couple provided a deep dive into their love story and the journey that led them to move across the Atlantic and set up a new life in California after quitting royal duties in 2020.

In one scene, Meghan and Harry spoke about their iconic engagement announcement, with the Duchess calling it an "orchestrated reality show".

Mishal Husain, whose career began in 1998 with BBC World News, expressed surprise at the comments and disputed Markle’s version of events.

The BBC correspondent who conducted the interview responded to the accusation by saying: "We know recollections may vary on this particular subject, but my recollection is definitely very much 'asked to do an interview, and do said interview'."