Beyonce is the latest celebrity accused of 'breaking royal protocol'

If there's one three-word phrase that sums up the last two years of tabloid reporting, it has to be "breaking royal protocol".

Somehow, everyone from magazine editors to the most casual observers of the British monarchy have become self-appointed experts in all things ~royal etiquette~.

As a result, accusations of "breaches" to these so-called rules are hurled far and wide with truly baffling frequency.

The Duchess of Sussex cops the brunt of this dialogue — remember when she closed a car door with her bare hand? Wore an off-the-shoulder dress? Opted for dark nail polish?

However, even celebrities who don't have a claim to the throne find themselves on trial in the court of "royal protocol" public opinion. The latest culprit: one Beyonce Knowles.

On Sunday night, the pop superstar and her husband Jay-Z met Prince Harry and Meghan at the European premiere of The Lion King in London.

The long-anticipated meeting appeared to be a warm one, with the couples chatting about their kids and their busy schedules. (Famous people, they're *just* like us.)

It's been just 24 hours since the brief encounter, and Beyonce has already been accused of committing two big royal no-nos.

The singer's first crime, alleges Entertainment Tonight, was arriving at the event after the Duke and Duchess.

When royals attend public events they are typically the last to arrive. However, Beyonce and Jay-Z turned up after Harry and Meghan and "completely upstaged" them, according to ET's source.

This seems... hysterical, to put it mildly.

As the voice of one of the film's main characters, Nala, the Lion King premiere was Beyonce's night to shine and it's only fitting the spotlight was focused on her.

The second faux pas the Grammy winner is accused of? Greeting Meghan with a hug rather than a more formal curtsy or handshake.

According to the official royal website, the "traditional forms" of greeting a member of the royal family is a bow of the head for men, and a small curtsy for women.

However, the page also points out there are "no obligatory codes of behaviour" for these encounters. In other words: no actual royal 'protocol' was broken here.

The embrace between Meghan and Beyonce was clearly mutual, and they even held one another's hands and arms while chatting — so much for that oft-quoted "no touching royals" rule.

Prince Harry also greeted the Homecoming singer with two cheek kisses, so clearly there's plenty of wriggle room when it comes to encounters of the royal kind.

LISTEN: The Windsors podcast delves into Meghan's transition from actress to Duchess. (Post continues.)

Also, as several passionate fans have pointed out on social media, as the reigning monarch of the music world, 'Queen Bey' can surely do as she pleases.

When it comes to accusations of breaching royal etiquette, the Grammy winner is at least in good company.

Over the years, several high-profile figures have been subjected to similar allegations.

In 2009, then-US First Lady Michelle Obama made headlines after daring to place a hand on Queen Elizabeth's back during a presidential visit to the UK.

Obama addressed this in her memoir Becoming, saying it felt right in the moment and that the monarch even reciprocated the gesture.

“I then did what’s instinctive to me anytime I feel connected to a new person, which is to express my feelings outwardly,” she wrote.

“I daresay that the Queen was okay with it, too, because when I touched her, she only pulled closer, resting a gloved hand lightly on the small of my back.”

An anonymous palace spokesperson even defended the incident, saying, “It was a mutual and spontaneous display of affection. We don’t issue instructions on not touching the queen.”

In 2017, it was Ed Sheeran who supposedly broke protocol while being awarded an MBE by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

Recounting the moment to the US Today show, the singer said: "Apparently, I did a big faux pas ... I shook his hand and then grabbed it and you're not meant to do that."

Actress Alison Janney, basketballer LeBron James and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell have also come under the microscope for their royal encounters.

Janney called the Duchess of Cambridge "honey", James put an arm around Kate, and 'Ginger Spice'... well, let's allow her to explain:

"I didn’t pinch Prince Charles’s bum, as was reported. I patted it," she told The Times of her infamous encounter with the future king during the 90s.

"Patting him on the bottom was against royal protocol but we’re all human."