Meghan Markle says that unlike 'The Princess Diaries,' there wasn't a class that taught her how to follow royal protocol
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- The first three episodes of the "Harry & Meghan" docuseries are now streaming on Netflix.
- Meghan Markle says she received no formal instruction about how to follow royal protocol.
- She had to Google the British national anthem and called the whole experience "baptism by fire."
In the new Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan," Meghan Markle said she received no formal instruction about how to follow royal protocol after meeting Prince Harry, and dubbed the experience "baptism by fire."
She referenced the 2001 movie "The Princess Diaries," in which Anne Hathaway's character, Mia Thermopolis, receives etiquette training after learning she is the princess of a principality called Genovia.
"Joining this family, I knew that there was a protocol for how things were done," Meghan said. "And do you remember that old movie 'The Princess Diaries' with Anne Hathaway? There's no class and some person who goes 'Sit like this, cross your legs like this, use this fork, don't do this, curtsy then, wear this kind of hat.' It doesn't happen. So I needed to learn a lot. Including the national anthem."
When asked how she learned the British national anthem, Meghan replied, "Oh, I Googled it."
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Harry added that the press created "invented protocols" that aren't actual rules that royal family members have to follow.
Meghan also clarified that a specific kind of "royal wave" — a concept popularized by "The Princess Diaries" — is "not a thing," but did say she tried not to wave "like an American" in an exaggerated way.
"Everything is just ... smaller," she said after a thoughtful pause.
Volume I of "Harry & Meghan" is available on Netflix, and Volume II will air on December 15.