It was the door slam heard around the world.
A year ago, Meghan Markle made headlines for a minor royal faux pas and now her husband is repeating her actions. On Tuesday, Prince Harry shut a car door with his very own hands while attending the 5th anniversary of the Invictus Games. Cue the gasps.
Per the unspoken rules, the 34-year-old was supposed to let a member of the royal household open and close the door for him, as it has been the tradition since the invention of cars and carriages.
So, of course, royal watchers were up in arms over the Duke of Sussex seemingly flouting royal traditions, especially in light of the controversy surrounding him and his wife. However, fans of the famous couple are praising the gesture as a sign of Prince Harry's "humble" nature.
The controversy surrounding this latest break in tradition is a sign of the intense scrutiny Meghan and Harry are under. While Kate Middleton and Prince William tend to also push the boundaries of royal protocol, their actions don't draw nearly as much attention as Meghan and Harry do.
Most recently, the pair drew ire after they took a trip to France on Elton John's private jet. The self-proclaimed environmentalists were criticized because, just a week prior, Harry stated that they would only have two kids in an effort to conserve the resources the earth still has. "I've always thought: this place is borrowed. And, surely, being as intelligent as we all are, or as evolved as we all are supposed to be, we should be able to leave something better behind for the next generation," he explained.
These statements came off as entirely hypocritical since flying in a private jet is very harmful to the environment. But, Elton claimed this was necessary to maintain "a high level of much-needed protection" for Meghan, Harry and Archie Harrison.
Moreover, Meghan's A-list friends, including Ellen DeGeneres, defended their decision to ditch commercial flights, especially considering the Duke and Duchess do so much to save the world. "Imagine being attacked for everything you do, when all you're trying to do is make the world better," Ellen shared.
Perhaps their good deeds from their upcoming trip to Africa, will sway the public opinion in the royals' favor.