The Duchess of Sussex made a joke about having to bow to the late Queen Elizabeth II in a scene from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s new Netflix docuseries, which has divided fans.
Meghan revealed her first encounter with Prince Harry’s grandma shortly after they started dating in 2016 in the second episode of the Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries.
The duchess claimed she didn’t know she would be meeting the Queen until “moments before” and wasn’t ready for the formal introduction to the British monarch.
The Duke of Sussex remembered, “My grandmother was the first senior member of the family that Meghan met. She was clueless as to what it was all about. As a result, she experienced a little bit of a shock.
There wasn’t a big “Now you’re going to meet my grandmother” moment, Meghan said.
Prince Harry asked Meghan whether she knew how to “curtsy” while they were traveling to meet the Queen.
“You know how to curtsy, right? He said while we were traveling in the car.
I simply assumed it was a joke, the duchess admitted.
Prince Harry then admitted to the camera that it was difficult to explain the royal tradition to his American fiancée, asking: “How do you explain that to people? How can you justify bowing down to your grandmother? Additionally, you would have to bow down to someone, especially an American. That’s strange.
The duchess compared the protocol to “Medieval Times, Dinner and Tournament,” a dinner theater that features staged medieval-style events like jousting when Meghan realized she would need to curtsy to the Queen when she met her in the docuseries.
The joke was made by Meghan as she sat on the couch next to Prince Harry, who appeared a little uneasy, and said, “Americans will get this.”
“It was like that. Like, I curtsied as though I was like…” Meghan began as she made a showy head bow and opened her arms wide. “I’m happy to meet you, Your Majesty.”
The duchess mimicked the Queen’s curtsy and greeting as the camera focused on Prince Harry’s face.
Was that okay, sort of?
It was so intense, Meghan said after laughing, adding, “It was.”
The royal family’s website formerly said that there were “no mandatory norms of behavior while greeting the Queen,” although many visitors preferred to “observe the conventional manner. “A little curtsy” is the customary form for women.
This is the moment that Meghan describes meeting the late Queen Elizabeth for the first time and how she did not understand why she needed to curtsy to Harry‘s grandmother…
He looks a little uncomfortable about the whole thing#HarryandMeghan pic.twitter.com/H9qr7DqwHq— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) December 8, 2022
Additionally, according to protocol, all members of the royal family must bow to those addressed as His Majesty or Her Majesty. As a result, Prince Harry and the rest of his family had to bow to the Queen each time they wanted to welcome her.
Viewers have called the sequence from the Netflix docuseries “uncomfortable” on social media, with many expressing unease about the duchess’s “disrespectful” recall and Prince Harry’s response.
One person tweeted about the incident: “I’m an American, and I just cringed so hard. Is that supposed to be funny? Oh my, the disrespect.
Is she making an attempt at humor? Relatable? Curtsying to the Queen is actually quite simple for Americans to understand, according to another person.
Even though the scene was shot prior to the Queen’s passing in September, another viewer claims that it is difficult to see. They wrote, “I know this was recorded before HM died, but this smarts a bit…a there’s a sense of mockery to it.
Another person reacted to Meghan’s comments by saying, “How disrespectful and offensive.”
Others were concentrating on the duke’s reaction; several said Prince Harry appeared “embarrassed.”
Someone else commented, “He looks VERY uncomfortable.”
Some defended Meghan on the grounds that Harry should have informed his partner about proper greeting techniques before introducing her to the Queen.
Before Meghan met his grandmother, Harry should have made sure she knew when to curtsy and how. Why is her boyfriend, who is supposed to be watching out for her, not at fault, but everyone else is? “a person asking the question posed.
Another person said they thought the curtsy incident was “very humorous.” They continued, “Watching Harry’s expression and Meghan make that deep bow.
What do you think about this incident? Do you think Megan intentionally did it? Who is to blame here? Please let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to spread the news so that we can hear from more people.