If Beyonce wasn't royalty before, she certainly is now -- she embraced Meghan Markle when, technically, commoners aren't supposed to touch ... unless a Royal does it first.
Bey and Jay-Z were in London Sunday for the UK premiere of the live-action 'Lion King,' and as they posed for pics on the red carpet ... none other than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived hand-in hand, and then pulled up for a stop and chat with Bey and Jay.
Someone filmed Meg and Queen Bey going in for a hug -- which was polite and brief -- and talking it up afterward. Meghan also went in to hug Jay, who was standing by.
No sign of Prince Harry in the video here, but we know he was there. Unclear if either of the power couples' kids were in attendance ... Archie gets a pass, but it'd be a tragedy if Blue Ivy wasn't in attendance. She kinda steals the spotlight anytime she's with her folks.
Anyway, the reason why the hug between Meg and the Carters is such a big deal is because -- per high society, unspoken nobility rules -- anyone who isn't an official Royal (sorry, Beyhive) is NOT supposed to make contact with a Royal without being engaged first.
LeBron James got taken to task for doing exactly that back in 2014, when he innocently put his arm around Kate Middleton in a photo-op ... a major faux pas.
Doesn't seem like Bey and Jay broke protocol though ... Meg is clearly the initiator here. Hell, they might even be closer than we think based on how comfy everyone looks.