Why Queen Elizabeth Is ‘Delighted’ By Meghan Markle, Prince Harry

They may be used to getting criticism everywhere they go and with everything they do, but it appears Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s African Tour has done them some good when it comes to repairing their reputation—especially with the Queen.

After the couple was slammed for not visiting Her Majesty at Balmoral (Markle especially was criticized because she traveled to the United States to watch her friend Serena Williams at the U.S. Open), they seem to be courting good fortune for their current tour, mainly because they’ve been keeping things less formal than other royal visits.

“The way Meghan and Harry have handled their tour in South Africa so far has been uniquely informal, from hugging and dancing to Meghan not wearing her engagement ring,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliam told Express UK. “This is unusual for a royal tour but the Sussexes have already shown they do things their way.”

Fitzwilliam also stated that this approach has worked in their favor, including with the Queen who was “delighted” to see how well they were doing.

“Their main appeal is clearly to the young and it is brilliantly unorthodox,” he said.

Among the ways the couple has proven to be delightful have been speeches, their visit with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and their campaigns for female empowerment, joint efforts to lift mental health stigmas and Prince Harry’s openness about his personal experiences.

It was also notable that Markle removed her engagement ring at points throughout the tour, fearing that the diamond band and stone would be seen as “too flashy,” since her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton has notable never removed her own engagement ring.

Overall, the couple’s less orthodox ways of doing things appear to be working, and even the Queen is likely to be impressed.

“I am sure that the Queen, who cares so deeply about her beloved Commonwealth, will be delighted at their successes,” Fitzwilliam said.