![\"strict](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/strict-rules-1-1747830467614.jpg\")
Source: Getty Images| Chris Jackson<\/p>\n
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the rest of the royal family.<\/p>\n
May 22 2025, Published 9:59 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Prince Harry was never fond of royal protocols<\/a>, despite learning the ropes from a young age. The Duke has voiced his frustrations with the many rules that dictated his life in his memoir, Spare. One such odd rule was having to seek permission from the late Queen Elizabeth to marry Meghan Markle. He admitted feeling awkward as a grown man, asking his grandmother for approval to wed a woman he loved.<\/p>\n Article continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p>\n As reported by The Mirror<\/a>, Harry shared that upon revealing his proposal plans, he was told by his private secretary, Ed Lane, that he needed to follow one rule as sixth in line to the throne. He penned, \u201cThere were strict rules governing such things\u2026He came back days later and said that before doing anything, I\u2019d need to ask Granny\u2019s permission.\u201d Harry, who had been left baffled, recalled, \u201cA grown man asking his grandmother for permission to marry?\u201d While Harry wasn’t too pleased, it was not uncommon for senior royals to ask the Queen for approval to marry their partner.<\/p>\n Article continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Duke subsequently revealed that his father, King Charles, had also asked the late Queen\u2019s permission to marry Camilla. He further wrote, \u201cElf [ED Lane] said there was no point in examining the whys and hows; this was the inalterable rule\u2026The Royal Marriages Act of 1772, or the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013 \u2013 he was going on and on, and I could barely believe my ears. The point was, love took a decided back seat to law.\u201d Despite his frustrations, he followed the protocol and asked the Queen\u2019s<\/a> permission to marry Markle. After she had given her blessings, Harry proposed privately to Markle after a night in.<\/p>\n Article continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p>\n In Spare, the Prince also recalled that when he sought his grandmother’s approval, she gave him a rather cryptic reply<\/a>. He revealed that during a family visit to Sandringham Estate, he found the perfect moment to break the news to her. Harry awkwardly said, \u201cI’ve been told that I have to ask your permission before I can propose.\u201d In response, the Queen said, \u201cYou have to? Well then, I suppose I have to say yes.\u201d The Duke claimed her coy response rattled him as he was unsure how she really felt about Markle.<\/p>\n Article continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p>\n