Down-to-earth Meghan Markle broke royal protocol by hugging staff almost as soon as she started dating Prince Harry

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SINCE joining the royal family Meghan Markle has ripped up the royal rulebook especially when it comes to giving hugs.

Meghans TV executive friend Bonnie Hammer revealed that when Meghan, 38, first started dating Harry, 35, she would hug Kensington Palace staff, to their shock.

Meghan is said to be a ‘hugger’ and even broke protocol by embracing members of staff at Kensington Palace

Bonnie told Hello!: I heard a story from her very early in their dating and Meghan would come up to the palace and she’d get out of the car and she’d have a bag or two.

The guards would basically greet her and kind of walk her in.

After the first couple of times I guess she started giving a hug to the guys, which wasn’t exactly protocol and at some point somebody said to her, ‘people don’t usually do that’ and she said while shrugging ‘I’m American, I hug’.”

The Duchess of Sussex has demonstrated that she is a fan of warmly embracing people she meets and members of the public.

Meghan suffers a very awkward encounter while hugging Kate Robertson at the One Young World Summit this week

This week, Meghan stopped one of the One Young World founders, Kate Robertson, from curtseying to her and instead went in for a friendly hug.

The new mum has just returned from a 10-day royal tour to southern Africa with Prince Harry and Archie, and was pictured getting a group hug from local African children.

A source close to the couple said Meghan and Harry have “single-handedly modernised” the British monarchy.

The insider spoke toCNNamid the fallout from the explosive ITV documentary Harry &Meghan: An African Journey in which the pair spoke about their struggles with fame.

Meghan is often pictured hugging members of the public and people she meets

They said the palace is “full of people afraid of and inexperienced at how to best help and harness and deploy the value of the royal couple”.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama praised Meghan for “breaking the mould” and being a “thoughtful leader” on an Instagram post last month.

Since marrying Harry in May 2018, Meghan has thrown herself into the role, undertaking tours to Australia and Morocco, launching a cookbook for the Grenfell Tower victims, editing Vogue and launching her own clothes line.

In the documentary, Harry and Meghan: An African Journey, Harry admitted him and William have grown apart.

Prince Harry also revealed he wouldlove to leave the UK and base his family in Cape Town.

The couple said theywish to focus their lifes work predominantly on Africa, and could even build a lodge there.