Out of all the long list of royal protocols – and there are a lot of them – one of the most noticeable is how everyone in the family walks behind the monarch.

During Queen Elizabeth II’s record-breaking 70-year reign, you might have noticed planning was always done to ensure no one walked in front of her in public.

But the rule was not there due to simple politeness, it is actually the cardinal rule of royal etiquette and is based on the royal order of precedence.

The hierarchical system is pretty much the same as the line of succession to the throne, ensuring it is visible to anyone looking that no one outranks the monarch. 

However when Meghan Markle stepped out for her first royal engagement with the late Queen in June 2018, she did not appear to respect the time-honoured tradition.

Rediscovered footage from the event shows the new duchess boldly striding in front of the then 92-year-old monarch and grabbing a bouquet of flowers while aides walked nearby.

When clips of the incident were recently shared on social media, viewers expressed alarm that Meghan had seemingly broken one of the most important, and easy to remember, royal protocols so early in her career.

One person commented: ‘And she has the nerve to walk in front of the Queen. An absolute no no!’ 

Meghan Markle raised eyebrows in June 2018 when she walked in front of the late Queen on her first royal engagement 

Resurfaced footage from the event shows the newly-made Duchess boldly striding in front of the then 92-year-old monarch and grabbing a bouquet of flowers while aides stand nearby

When clips of the incident were recently shared on social media, viewers expressed alarm that Meghan had seemingly broken one of the most important, and easy to remember, royal rules

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Queen Elizabeth II were on the engagement to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge on June 14, 2018 in Widness

Another posted: ‘This is why she can’t act. She can’t remember protocol or lines.’ 

A third said: ‘This was one of the main reasons she couldn’t stay with the Royal Family. Her narcissistic personality couldn’t, under any circumstances, stand back and take second place to anybody.’ 

Someone else claimed it was ‘just another demonstration’ of how she thinks everything is all about her and ‘tries to take front stage’. 

The trip Meghan and the Queen were on was itself a fairly mundane affair in the first place, with them opening a new bridge across the River Mersey in Cheshire.  

It was the first and only time the Queen and Meghan carried out a joint engagement. 

Now the lip reading expert Jacqui Press has revealed what was said between Meghan and the royal staff while she was walking in front of the Queen.

The clip begins with Meghan walking towards the crowd while holding out her hand and saying: ‘Thank you so much’.

Meghan later revealed to Harry that she talked to the Queen about her desire for children during their first joint engagement

A view of the motorcade as Queen Elizabeth II and Meghan arrived in Chester

Meghan remained behind Queen Elizabeth II when they arrived by Royal Train at Runcorn Station to carry out engagements in Cheshire

Meghan continued to walk on before stopping, and the aide in the white outfit (it’s difficult to see what she said as her face is turned away) said to Meghan: ‘Do you want to come down?’

There is a pause while Meghan addresses the crowd, and the aide then said to Meghan ‘this way please’, and gestures with her hand in the direction to walk ahead.

Then the lady with the green skirt walked along and Meghan turned to her and said: ‘And these?’

The lady in the green skirt takes the flowers and gives them to Meghan, with the duchess saying ‘thank you’, then smiling and walking off.

As well as walking in front of the Queen, it seems Meghan had forgotten the proper etiquette when it came to dealing with the bunches of flowers the royalists were handing them.

Royal protocol dictates that when a member of The Firm is handed flowers they should pass them back to their private secretaries and personal assistants.

The aides will then display the flowers properly, allowing the royals to keep their hands free to shake hands with more well-wishers.

There is also a more serious reason: the bouquets could contain dangerous substances or explosives.

In this photo, Meghan stays behind the Queen while she shakes a woman’s hand

In other photos taken from the day, Meghan remained in her correct position behind the Queen

The monarch always walks at the front of the Royal Family due to well-established rules of the royal order of precedence

But footage from the event seems to show Meghan being keen to hold on to the flowers she picked up.

Although some viewers have pointed out that because Meghan was unexpectedly in front of the Queen, they may have actually been meant for the monarch but were taken before she got there.

While out with a senior member of the Royal Family, Meghan had to follow the plethora of long-established rules and habits that were in place for such events.

As she had married into The Firm at the age of 36, she was not brought up to appreciate all of the intricacies of life in the limelight like her husband Harry.

The American actress had to learn how to curtsey properly, give a proper royal handshake, stand up when the Queen does, avoid any PDA and remember not to sign any autographs.

Her training also included how to greet dignitaries – and expect to be greeted – as well as how to behave on royal engagements and the intricacies of palace life. 

And although the etiquette of walking in the correct order may seem arcane, it is taken very seriously by those in the institution. 

However this wasn’t Meghan’s first royal row, as her journey to becoming a full-time member of The Firm was fraught with many well-publicised difficulties.

Queen Elizabeth II and Meghan observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire

The visit was perceived as an occasion for the Queen to give a personal masterclass on how to handle royal engagements for newcomer Meghan

In her months of dating Prince Harry and in the lead up to their wedding, there had been a number of critical stories in the press showing she was happy to trample on royal protocol.

So when Meghan went on her first royal engagement with the Queen, the couple were nervous about how the press would cover it.

The visit was perceived as an occasion for the Sovereign to give a personal masterclass on how to handle royal engagements for the newcomer. 

When Meghan joined the Royal Family, the Queen had suggested her close friend Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh (formerly the Countess of Wessex), show her the ropes.

But according to the late monarch’s friend Gyles Brandreth, Meghan turned down the offer of a mentorship from Prince Edward’s wife, instead saying ‘she had Harry’.

However, perhaps Meghan should have taken up the offer for extra help, because as well as walking in front of the Queen, there was also a row over Meghan getting into a car before the monarch at another point in the day.

Although the trip seemed to go well overall, as when the duchess was photographed making the Queen laugh, most of the coverage featured the pair of them giggling – with the Daily Mail’s front page reading: ‘How did Meghan make one so amused?’

And although conversations with the Queen are usually private, Harry later revealed in his 2023 memoir Spare that the pair bonded over their love of dogs and motherhood.

Meghan shaking hands as she walked on foot to Chester Town Hall

The UK was still gripped by Meghan-mania during the visit, as thousands of well-wishers turned up to see the newly minted Duchess

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Sussex leave the Storyhouse Chester, after taking a tour and unveiling a plaque to mark the official opening of the building 

Speaking to Femail at the time, body language experts revealed how Meghan appeared deferential, nervous – but above all gloriously happy to be in the monarch’s company.

And the fond feeling was certainly mutual, with the Queen clearly ‘delighted’ by how Meghan performed.

Harry later wrote of the event in Spare: ‘She returned from the trip glowing. We bonded, she told me. ‘”The Queen and I really bonded!”

‘”We talked about how much I wanted to be a mom and she told me the best way to induce labour was a good bumpy car ride! I told her I’d remember that when the time came”.’

Photographs from the event showed the two women appearing to enjoy each other’s company, sharing a joke and laughing.

The monarch was also seen sharing her blanket with Meghan while they travelled in the back of the car together.

In a March 2021 interview with CBS, Meghan revealed why the Queen’s gesture meant so much to her.

She said: ‘We were in the car going between engagements. And she has a blanket that sits across her knees for warmth, and it was chilly.

‘And she was like, ‘Meghan, come on’, and put it over my knees as well… and it made me think of my grandmother, where she’s always been warm and inviting and really welcoming.’

And in another sign of her growing friendship with the Queen, Harry’s wife sported a pair of delicate pearl earrings, given to her by the monarch as a gift.

Body language experts later revealed how Meghan appeared deferential, nervous – but above all gloriously happy to be in the monarch’s company

The Queen had gifted Meghan a pair of delicate pearl earrings, which she wore on her first joint engagement with the monarch in June 2018 (left). At the monarch’s funeral in September 2022, she wore them again (right)

Meghan would later wear these same earrings to the monarch’s funeral in September 2022.

And the month after, she spoke about her relationship with the late Queen in an interview with US magazine Variety, where she said: ‘I’ve reflected on that first official engagement that I had with her, how special that felt. I feel fortunate.

‘And I continue to be proud to have had a nice warmth with the matriarch of the family.’

After all, Meghan hasn’t been the only person to have seemingly made a royal faux pas in the company of the Queen.

US President Donald Trump caught a wave of social media attention when he gaffed by walking in front of the monarch as they inspected a guard of honour in 2018.

However, years later, following the Queen’s death in September 2022, Meghan seemingly forgot her training once again when she tried to walk in front of more senior royals. 

Footage from the occasion seems to show Harry having to pull his wife back with his arm and slow down his walking pace so that she didn’t pull ahead of Prince William and Kate.

It seems Meghan could be naturally predisposed to taking the lead.