When Meghan Markle met Prince Harry in London, she knew little about the royal family. At least that’s what the American says today. She didn’t google him, but looked at his Instagram profile instead. And so the former “Suits” actress didn’t know what the palace customs were either.
One of the things that surprised Meghan was that even the closest family members had to bow or curtsy in front of Queen Elizabeth II.
“How do you explain bowing to your grandmother? And that you have to curtsy? Especially to an American woman… that’s weird,” Prince Harry explains in the Netflix documentary Harry
Immediately afterwards, a scene follows in the documentary that arouses numerous emotions. Harry and Meghan are seated together on a sofa as the Duchess giggles, mimicking an exaggerated bow, and then says: “It was a pleasure meeting you, Your Majesty. How was that okay? It was so intense. I didn’t know what I did!” She may be making fun of herself, but to some viewers it seems as if the American is kidding the late Queen. Prince Harry also seems uncomfortable with his wife’s movement at the moment. At least he doesn’t join in her laughter.
“This is just bizarre. No one is forced to bow to the monarch. However, Meghan doesn’t seem to realize how big a deal it is to meet the Queen. She was the most important female figurehead of our time, maybe even of all time . A little modesty?” wrote royal expert Charlie Proctor on Twitter.
“Nobody curtseys with their hands spread like a wing, or with their head touching their toes. A curtsey is basically bending your knees in a formal greeting. Honestly, it’s a comedy show now. A sad state of affairs. The disrespect runs deep. Netflix has to be proud,” criticized one user. And a former chef of the Royal Family also agreed. “I’ve known Harry since I held him as a baby while Princess Diana ate cereal in the kitchen at Windsor Castle. The look on his face as his wife laughed at the curtsey to the Queen says it all to me,” wrote he on the short message service.
But fans of the queen do not see the scene as kidding royal etiquette, but rather as self-mockery. “Everyone who acts like they’re outraged by Meghan’s curtsy when it was incredibly clear that she (…) was kidding herself because there’s literally nothing else to get upset about in the documentary , say it all,” wrote journalist Daniel Falconer.
You can read about the greatest excitement of the documentary here.
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