![When Meghan Markle marries Prince Harry, she will have to follow strict rules [Image: Creative Commons]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/9/24/660x290/b_502x220x82/when-meghan-markle-marries-prince-harry-she-will-have-to-follow-strict-rules-image-creative-commons_1589413.jpg "When Meghan Markle marries Prince Harry, she will have to follow strict rules [Image: Creative Commons]")
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been dating for a year, and people are thinking they will get engaged very soon. The official announcement will come from Kensington Palace. However, it will not come immediately after the proposal. It could be up to a month or longer before the public finds out about an engagement.
Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in October 2010, but Kensington Palace did not make the official announcement until November 16, 2010. Kate was not allowed to wear her engagement ring or tell anyone until the official announcement came out.
The same procedure might be followed when Harry proposes to Meghan.
Rules to follow
Meghan's life will not be the same if she marries into the Royal Family. There is a long list of rules she will be required to follow. One of the biggest transitions is that she will most likely have to give up her acting career. As of now, she has one of the leading roles on the legal drama, "Suits." She is engaged on the show and has worked her way up from being a paralegal to an attorney in a prestigious law firm.
Permission to marry
Prince Harry will need Queen Elizabeth's permission to marry because he is fifth in line to the throne. Queen Elizabeth needs to grant permission only to the first six members of the family.
The lineup now is Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Harry. After Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have their third child next spring, Harry will move down to sixth place.
Even though Meghan is a biracial, divorced American who is three years older than Harry, Queen Elizabeth is fond of her because of her charity work.
Meghan's wedding
Meghan will have very little to say about her own wedding. Even though she is into fashion, her wedding dress, veil, bouquet, and many other things will be planned by someone else. Whether she would want to or not, she will wear a Welsh gold wedding band. Every royal bride wears wedding bands containing Welsh gold which is three times more valuable than any other type of gold.
Protocol
The queen and other members of the family are very much into proper etiquette and protocol. This includes bowing and curtseying to each other in public and private. Meghan will be schooled on these rules just as Kate Middleton had to learn them when she married Prince William.
Meghan will never walk in front of Harry or even directly beside him when seen in public. She will have to always walk two steps behind him. Kate does this with William, but it is bearly noticeable unless one pays close attention to it.
Meghan will never reveal what she thinks about politics. She has been vocal about political issues in the past. Once she posted something on social media about Donald Trump, that will never happen again.
In fact, she will not be able to be on social media. It has been months since she gave up her blog, "The Tig."
While Meghan will indeed have to give up a lot of things, she will also gain a lot of things. She admitted that she and Prince Harry are very much in love, and love trumps everything else.
