Unless you're a royal, an employee of the royal household, a politician or a celebrity receiving an OBE (à la Victoria Beckham yesterday) there's more chance of you getting on a space ship to Mars than having the chance to aimlessly wander around Buckingham Palace without a security guard clipping at your heels.
Unless, of course, you're Michael Fagan, who broke into Queen Elizabeth's home in 1982 and reportedly sat on her bed while she was asleep.
Somehow, we don't think that sort of sh*t flies with Queen E.
So, when you're dating one of Britain's most eligible bachelors and have to deal with the rigmarole of the hounding press, undergoing thorough security checks every time you return with the milk from Sainsburys, and are forced to prove you really are Prince Harry's girlfriend at the gates of Kensington Palace every day, it must become pretty darn tiresome.
However, for Meghan Markle, it appears the rules are nul-en-void.
In a rare decision made by the royal's security, Prince Harry's girlfriend is reportedly 'waved right through' security at the gates of his home, Kensington Palace, according to US Weekly.
Meanwhile, all other visitors are required to fill out several forms of identification and have an official invitation from a member of the household.
Talk about VIP access.
'Harry has made it clear she's to be treated like everyone else who lives there,' a source told the publication.
If that's not enough, the 32-year-old royal's private secretary, Edward Lane Fox, and communications secretary, Jason Knauf, are alleged to have been 'a godsend' to the Suits actress, while Kate Middleton and Prince William are said to have been incredibly supportive and protective when it comes to helping her cope with the mounting attention surrounding her romance with their relative.
'She's very much been accepted into the family. They are so happy to see Harry happy,' added the source.
If only we had this much power to get through the backstage barriers at Glastonbury.
The news comes days after it was revealed the Californian beauty will attend Pippa Middleton's wedding reception next month as Prince Harry's date, following weeks of rumours suggesting she wouldn't be invited to do a 'no ring, no bring' policy implemented by the bride and groom.
Welcome to the British royal family, Meghan.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
