Royal expert clears Meghan Markle of criticism over formal welcome

Meghan Markle cleared of blame for over-the-top introduction

Meghan Markle recently drew attention for an awkward moment during a formal introduction, but a royal expert said the duchess was likely not at fault.

In her Harper’s Bazaar interview, the Duchess of Sussex spoke warmly about her family and her work but sparked backlash during a second meeting at a friend’s New York.

At her pal’s home, a house manager reportedly announced her as “Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex,” even though no other guests were present.

Speaking with The Mirror, royal expert Jennie Bond described the moment as “absurd” and suggested the staff were simply overexcited to host a duchess.

“It sounds so absurd, given the context that this was the second time the interviewer was meeting Meghan, and the first had been so relatively informal, sharing burger and chips at a restaurant,” the expert said.

She added, “So I suspect that this was simply a house manager getting overly pompous about the fact that there was a Duchess in the house.

“Americans tend to get very excited about titles. This was at a friend’s home and the staff were probably over-zealous.

“It simply doesn’t sound like the huggy, friendly Meghan we see portrayed elsewhere. So, I don’t think we should start criticising Meghan for this.”