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Meghan Markle slammed for 'unprofessional' habit

Markle during a recent appearance at Courtenay Creative in New Zealand. Image via Getty Images.
Markle during a recent appearance at Courtenay Creative in New Zealand. Image via Getty Images.

Meghan Markle’s first turn as a royal abroad has been a sartorial slam-dunk.

From evening gowns, to her first public appearance in sneakers, the expectant royal and her newlywed husband are winning over the Commonwealth on their 16 day tour, one photo op at a time.

However, not everyone is pleased with the Duchess of Sussex’s public behaviour. In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, an etiquette expert revealed that the Duchess’s habit of putting her hands in her pockets was “a step too far” for the newly minted royal.

While Meghan Markle has aligned herself as a breath of fresh air for the royal family, etiquette expert William Hanson says the 37-year-old American’s laid back persona in public is pushing the limit in royal decorum.

Image via Getty Images.
Image via Getty Images.

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We know that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pioneering a new, relaxed, tactile branch of monarchy but having hands in the pocket is a step too far,” Hanson said.

The expert explained, “There is good casual and there is bad casual. Placing a hands in the pocket is too relaxed and unprofessional, however dressed down Prince Harry and his wife may have been. Will the world end? No. It is just a small blip in Meghan’s usually delightful manners that can be easily corrected for future engagements.”

Now, body-language expert Judi James is weighing in on Markle’s pocket gate and suggests that the duchess’s ‘bad habit’ has less to do with being laid back and more to do with fashion.

Image via Getty Images.
Image via Getty Images.

“The classic reason for this very common gesture is that it signals a subliminal desire to hide, especially when the hands are shoved deep into the pockets, ” James told OK! Magazine. “It also helps get over the common problem most of us suffer from, which is not really knowing what to do with our hands when we know people are looking at us… Meghan’s high levels of confidence suggest her reason is more to do with fashion than anxiety though.”

We’re with Markle on the pocket debacle. If a dress has pockets, you let everyone know it — and you show them off with pride!

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