Duchess Meghan criticised for not wearing name-pin at Royal Ascot

Cape Town - Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, attended her first ever Royal Ascot on Tuesday looking elegant in a white Givenchy dress with a black-and-white hat to match.

But despite every hair being in place, royal watchers still found something to frown at – criticised Meg for not wearing her name-pin and instead opting to carry it around in her hand.

The annual five-day horse-racing event has a strict dress code, which includes ladies covering their shoulders and wearing hats and name tags.

According to Town and Country, all British royals, including Prince William and Kate, are expected to wear them. Only the queen herself is exempt from having to sport a name-pin.

“When it comes to the royal world, protocol is a code of conduct. It’s etiquette; it’s custom; it has nothing to do with clothes,” remarked Victoria Arbiter, a royals commentator and expert.

But Meghan wasn’t the only attendee this year to give wearing the accessory a pass.

Marlene Koenig, a royal historian and writer of the blog Royal Musings, told Bazaar.com that Duchess Camilla, Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie were also not wearing their pins at this year’s Royal Ascot. She added that their choice didn’t go against royal protocol.

“Wearing pins has nothing to do with protocol,” Koenig says. “Protocol is for official, diplomatic, state events, including where you sit, when you enter, etc. 

“Perhaps Meghan didn’t want to ruin that nice Givenchy dress with a pin hole,” she adds.

“At Ascot, everyone is given a badge, mainly to get them through security,” says royal expert Duncan Larcombe.

Source: Bazaar.com, townandcountrymag.com, express.co.uk