Meghan Markle and the Queen follow one simple style rule and we can relate

Last year, when news broke that Meghan Markle would be marrying Britain's most eligible bachelor, Prince Harry, she quickly became the envy of women everywhere. I mean, at one point of the other, we've all dreamed about becoming a princess; it's a veritable right of passage that accompanies the effluvia of girlhood.

As such, we were obsessed with all the details when Meghan wed Prince Harry at St. George's Chapel in Windsor last month. She wore a Givenchy gown, by way of Clare Waight Keller, which she paired with Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara, in a look which was as striking as it was understated.

Naturally, fashionistas have been keeping an eye on the Duchess of Sussex's sartorial choices post-wedding. And they have not disappointed. The Queen invited Meghan on a solo royal outing last week, and from the photos, it seems as if they are quickly becoming fast friends. What's more, the most observant of royalists noticed that Meghan and the Queen's fashion choices tend to follow a particular pattern when they're out together, and there's a good reason why...

As you may have picked up on, when out on joint engagements, Meghan Markle errs towards a muted palette of neutral toned clothing, while the Queen opts for her signature brights. Certainly, at the monarch's 92nd birthday celebrations, Her Majesty wore a bright blue ensemble at Trooping the Colour, while Meghan chose a subtle blush pink Carolina Herrera dress. And at their solo outing to Chester, the Queen wore a lime green ensemble, whereas Megan wore a nude Givenchy dress.

And it doesn't just end there. Let's fast forward to Tuesday, when the newly appointed Duchess of Sussex attended her first Royal Ascot with Her Majesty. While the Queen wore a bright yellow suit, Meghan donned a monochromatic look.

You guessed it - it's all to ensure that monarch takes centre stage at public outings - a fact corroborated by fashion commentator Lucas Armitage. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said "I feel this is a clever styling tactic as it will always work with the Queen's look; she is known and applauded for her use of bright fun colours."

Etiquette expert, William Hanson continued:

"The key really is that it isn't a rule solely for Meghan, it's for any ancillary member of the royal family. When you attend an event with the Queen, she is the star of the show and you don't want to upstage her too much. I don't think it will be an overly conscious effort on Meghan's part, but the Queen often wears bright, block colours deliberately, so people six deep in a crowd can see her, especially as she's not very tall. There is logic to the Queen's wardrobe."

I mean, this whole situation is kind of relatable as women everywhere try to ensure that they don't upstage their girlfriends when it comes to anything like birthdays, engagements or weddings. And it's kind of the same thing here, Meghan is being incredibly modest by deflecting the attention away from her, and towards the matriarch of the family.

Hanson did go on to explain, however, that if Meghan were to attended an event on her own, she would probably experiment with more "out there" ensembles. "If Meghan was doing an event alone, she would be more daring with the colours," he stated. "But in the company of Her Majesty, supporting her, as any other member of the royal family would do, it is better etiquette — not protocol, etiquette — to sightly tone down what you are wearing."

Well, it turns out that Meghan Markle and the Queen have a relationship that's akin to plain old girlfriends! How sweet.