Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not hold hands in front of Queen Elizabeth

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen regularly shaking hands and being affectionate with each other at royal events, but during an appearance last week, the newlyweds kept themselves for a major reason: Queen Elizabeth was present. During the Young Leaders Reception at Buckingham Palace on June 26, the royal observers spotted a moment when Meghan seemed to reach the hand of her new husband, but Harry quickly joined his hands in an apparent effort to avoid standing in front of him. hand. exercise when her grandmother, the queen is around, and Meghan is still learning the royal strings.

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip never show affection in public. Despite their proximity (70 years of royal marriage!), We never see them holding hands in public because of the "Stoic values" of their generation, says the royal biographer Gyles Brandreth at PEOPLE

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth

John Stillwell – WPA Pool / Getty

L & # 39; Harry's open affection and Meghan is indeed a departure from the usual royal behavior.A certain decorum tends to be the norm when it comes to official royal releases.Prince William and Kate Middleton, for example, rarely show PDA.

"It is rare to see royal couples hand in hand during the s official ", told PEOPLE the royal etiquette expert Myka Meier, founder and director of Beaumont Etiquette. "Although we are much less likely to see the Duke and Duchess holding hands in public, we often see Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall shaking hands – all this is simply a matter of preference for each couple. the event they attend.A more serious commitment would warrant a more serious level of professionalism, than every royal is sure to follow. "

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Since they made their first appearance together at the Invictus Games last September, Harry and Meghan stood by the hand, rubbing their arms back in public – movements almost never seen by Will and Kate. But now that Meghan is an official royal, they can refrain from the closeness that we have had the habit of seeing from them in public – especially at more formal royal events.

"Although Prince Harry and Meghan stand by chance, it's a seemingly welcome gesture to show unity and celebration of their period of engagement," Meier adds. There is no protocol that says they can not show affection about official commitments, and this gesture will make them tellable and kind to the public. "

" Meghan and Prince Harry Holding hands with a royal commitment is a refreshing modern approach to their new role both as a couple and as representatives of the royal family. "