Meghan Markle was introduced to Prince Harry’s grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, in an awkward meeting – and it seems the Duke of Sussex still isn’t over it.
Meeting your partner’s family is always a nerve-wracking event and it seems Meghan Markle will never forget her experience.
The Duchess of Sussex and her husband Prince Harry recounted the moment Meghan was introduced to Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in their explosive Netflix docuseries. The late monarch was one of the first senior royals Meghan ever met.
The impromptu meeting came while the Sussexes were in Windsor for lunch at the Royal Lodge with Princess Eugenie. It was then that Harry had to teach his new girlfriend on how to curtsy, but he seemed uncomfortable as he recounted the experience.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spoke out about the Royal Family in their Netflix show
The Duke of Sussex explained: “How do you explain that to people? How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother? And that you will need to curtsy. Especially to an American. That’s weird.”
Meghan added: “Now I’m starting to realize ‘This is a big deal’. I mean, Americans will understand this… We have medieval times, dinner and tournament. It was like that.”
In the show, Meghan re-enacted the moment she performed a somewhat awkward and exaggerated curtsy. She giggled as she said: “Pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty” while the camera focused on Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex re-enacted her curtsy
Body language expert Judi James suggested the entire scene left Harry hinting at his “discomfort” as he performed one telling “cut off” gesture. Speaking to The Mirror US, she said: “Meghan is the more chatty and natural speaker during their interview and here she sits talking confidently and readily in a slightly gossipy style as though talking to a girlfriend she is keen to amuse.
“Her joke is self-effacing as she talks about her curtesy when she first met the late Queen. Her smile becomes asymmetric, pulling up on one side to register a shared joke. Harry, however, is already watching her carefully, turning to gaze at the side of her face with his own facial expression looking less turned to ‘fun’ than hers.
“Meghan does an extravagant mock-curtsey that does, as she says, look Medieval. It takes her eight seconds to perform, making it a long joke but there is no change in Harry’s more serious facial expression until the end, when he lets out a small, mirthless laugh. As Meghan mentions ‘Your Majesty’, the direct reference to the late Queen, it does seem a small step too far for Harry who quickly drops his head down to perform a cut-off ritual that partially hides his face, suggesting some discomfort at this point.”
