Why 2 of Meghan Markle’s Curtsies to Queen Elizabeth Are Going Viral
Meghan Markle sparked backlash in December 2022 when she described the first time she ever met the late Queen Elizabeth II in the Sussexes’ Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan.
Prince Harry’s wife drew the ire of some viewers when she appeared to mock a curtsy she did before the duke’s grandmother behind closed doors. Now, video of two public curtsies Meghan gave the late monarch are going viral. Here’s the reason for that and what fans are saying about the clip.
Reason Meghan’s curtsies to the late queen have gone viral
During an episode of Harry & Meghan, the couple discussed their early relationship and the former Suits star relayed the story of her first meeting with Queen Elizabeth, which required her to curtsy to her then-boyfriend’s grandmother.
“We were in the car and we were going to Royal Lodge for lunch. And he’s like ‘Oh, my grandmother’s here, we’re going to meet her after church,'” Meghan recalled Harry saying. “And I remember we were in the car driving up and he’s like ‘You know how to curtsy, right?’ And I just thought it was a joke.”
The prince then chimed in: “How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother and that you will need to curtsy? Especially to an American, like, that’s weird.”
As she described what happened when she saw the queen, Meghan performed an exaggerated “medieval times-style” bow and began to giggle saying: “Pleasure to meet you Your Majesty. “
While Meghan’s actual curtsy on that day wasn’t seen publicly, there were a few others she gave that were captured by cameras during her time as a working royal. Now, a video uploaded to TikTok is highlighting two of those.
The clips show Meghan following a Christmas Day service in 2017 outside St. Mary Magdalene Church. She slightly bows her head as she curtsies to the former monarch. And the second is during Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral in 2022 when the Duchess of Sussex gave a deep curtsy as the queen’s coffin went by.
The video has gone viral because of the time it was posted, which was on the one anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death. It has been viewed nearly a million times so far, garnered more than 300,000 likes, and received hundreds of comments.
Many commenters praised the duchess, but others haven’t forgotten the past
Many people who watched the video complimented Meghan’s two curtsies.
“Not gonna lie, the last one was so regal … loved it,” one TikTok user wrote.
“That last bow,” another agreed. “Deep reverence and sorrow.”
“She had the best curtsy,” a third person opined, while a fourth added: “I love her curts[ies].”
But not everyone was impressed and brought up Meghan’s mock curtsy in the Netflix series with one writing: “Sorry, but I still remember how she made fun of bowing before the queen in front of the camera.”
“Her curtsy was always really good … until she disrespected the curtsy and ruined it all,” someone else posted.
And another added: “What a lot of heartache she brought to the queen. A dramatic curtsy changes nothing.”
