--- description: While greeting the crowd on a visit to Wales, Meghan Markle skirted royal protocol by giving a fan an autograph. title: Meghan Markle Skirted Royal Restrictions with a Smart Move image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt88ff536c88c82371/6988f8cf096a9412e96a12ad/meghan-markle-autograph.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Meghan Markle Skirted Royal Restrictions With a Clever Move  by [Raisa Bruner](/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 19, 2018 6:39 PM CUT  Meghan Markle writes a note for 10 year old Caitlin Clarke from Marlborough Primary School as Prince Harry looks on during a walkabout at Cardiff Castle on January 18, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales. Meghan Markle writes a note for 10 year old Caitlin Clarke from Marlborough Primary School as Prince Harry looks on during a walkabout at Cardiff Castle on January 18, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales.Chris Jackson—Getty Images  by [Raisa Bruner](/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 19, 2018 6:39 PM CUT Longstanding royal protocol [contends](http://www.instyle.com/news/the-royals-autograph-ban "undefined") that members of Britain’s most hallowed family don’t give out autographs. But for [Meghan Markle](http://time.com/5108303/meghan-markle-sustainable-fashion-philanthropy/ "undefined"), currently kicking off her first official round of visits to sites around the United Kingdom ahead of her [spring nuptials](http://time.com/5065910/prince-harry-meghan-markle-wedding-date/ "undefined"), protocol is made to be worked around. While greeting fans outside the historic Cardiff Castle [in Wales this week](http://time.com/5108140/meghan-markle-jenga/ "undefined"), the personable _Suits_ actress and Prince Harry’s fiancée spent plenty of time chatting with well wishers, receiving gifts, and even accepting a kiss on the hand from one gentleman. She also left a written note for one ten-year-old girl, Caitlin Clarke. Traditionally, protocol dictates that giving out a signature should not be allowed; the rationale is that it enables potential forgers to make use of royal handwriting. But Markle’s workaround was simple: instead of signing her name, she simple wrote “Hi Kaitlin” with a “K” on the paper provided. “My heart is still racing. I’ve never got a royal autograph before. This is going to make everyone jealous,” lucky Clarke [told PEOPLE.](http://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-broke-royal-protocol-hollywood-habit/ "undefined") There is one precedent. In 2010, Prince Charles [gave his signature](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1331747/Prince-Charles-breaks-royal-protocol-signs-autograph-Cornwall-flood-hit-family.html "undefined") to victims of a flood in Cornwall. Of course, Markle has not officially royal yet, so technically she should be free to autograph — and selfie, as she did sparingly in Wales — to her heart’s content. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5109991/meghan-markle-autograph/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5109991/meghan-markle-autograph/"},"headline":"Meghan Markle Skirted Royal Restrictions With a Clever Move","datePublished":"2018-01-19T18:39:03.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:49:54.125Z","description":"While greeting the crowd on a visit to Wales, Meghan Markle skirted royal protocol by giving a fan an autograph.","url":"https://time.com/5109991/meghan-markle-autograph/","keywords":["Newsfeed","royals","United Kingdom","royal wedding","meghan markle"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt88ff536c88c82371/6988f8cf096a9412e96a12ad/meghan-markle-autograph.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt88ff536c88c82371/6988f8cf096a9412e96a12ad/meghan-markle-autograph.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Visit Cardiff Castle","caption":"Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Visit Cardiff Castle","creditText":"Chris Jackson—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5109991/meghan-markle-autograph/","name":"Meghan Markle Skirted Royal Restrictions With a Clever Move"}}]}] ```