21 December 2023 , 14:22
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Meghan Markle admitted that she didn't know how "jarring" British people find hugging strangers.
The Duchess Of Sussex confessed that she came to the realisation when being shocked at how formal the Royal Family are, even in private moments. Talking in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan she discussed how she met his family for the first time and described her reaction.
Meghan recalled: “When Will and Kate came over and I was meeting her for the first time I remember I was in ripped jeans, I was barefoot. Like I was a hugger, I have always been a hugger. I didn’t realise that is really jarring for a lot of Brits. I started to understand that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside”.
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Harry and Meghan discussed the moment on their documentary (Netflix)Prince Harry then divulged his recollection of the same moment in his memoir Spare, describing how his brother Prince William was shocked by Meghan's physical contact when they met. Harry said of their first meeting at Frogmore Cottage that William was a “bit dressed up” in smart clothing.
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He explained: “I introduced Meg, who leaned in and gave him a hug, which completely freaked him out. He recoiled.” He also stated that while his brother wouldn't usually hug anyone he didn't know, it was normal for Meghan to do so. He added: “Maybe Willy expected Meg to curtsy? It would have been protocol when meeting a member of the Royal Family for the first time, but she didn’t know and I didn’t tell her.”
Meghan's first meeting with the Royals was awkward (AP)Meghan had previous incidents where she was unclear on her what her conduct should be, including when Harry had to remind her that she would have to curtsy for the Queen when she met her for the first time at Windsor Castle in 2016. Meghan recalled: “We were in the car, driving and Harry’s like, ‘You know how to curtsy, right?’. And I just thought it was a joke.”
Harry added: “How do you explain that to people? How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother? And that you would need to curtsy, especially to an American. That's weird.”