11 Meghan Markle Moments That Left Royal Fans Frustrated

While Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is no longer an active members of the British royal family, there were many instances during her time with the firm — and after she left — that left royal fans frustrated. People felt distressed and annoyed over Meghan's inability or unwillingness — or both — to adhere to the norms and expectations of being a working royal. In some instances, Meghan simply made a mistake and, likely quite innocently, didn't know what was expected of her. In other instances, Meghan acted in a way that seemed careless and even callous toward the traditions of the monarchy. That infamous curtsy scene in their Netflix docuseries, "Harry & Meghan," comes to mind. That frustrating curtsy scene was so infamous we had a body language expert unpack the moment. 

While many might take Meghan's side in these instances — she was new or she felt unhappy — royal fans have had a very different take. For monarchists, those who support the British royal family, the traditions and expectations around the firm and its senior members are deeply important. The historical roots of royal tradition and the sense of unity that the monarchy brings are values that royal fans treasure. Part of the reason for Meghan's lack of success in her ability to thrive as a senior member of the firm came from her inability to understand this, hence the frustration on the part of royal enthusiasts. These feelings only amplified for royal fans after she left the family, and they haven't subsided.

Meghan Markle's very first Trooping the Color was in June 2018, shortly after her wedding to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Unfortunately, this pioneering moment for her left royal fans frustrated with what appeared to be a very callous response from the Duchess of Sussex. During the parade, a 79-year-old field marshal fainted and fell off of his horse. Cameras caught the royal family's reaction at the exact moment it happened, and Meghan's response was vastly different from that of Catherine, Princess of Wales. The princess appeared to have covered her mouth in concern, while Meghan was seen stifling a laugh.

Royal fans were deeply upset by Meghan's response to the situation, while they praised Catherine for her expression of concern. The monarchists took to social media to vent about this unfortunate moment. "Catherine is clearly concerned, Harry is kind of doing a cringe, but not really laughing. I think that was just the face he happened to make because the poor man fell," one person wrote on Reddit. "[Meghan] ... she is openly laughing at the elderly man who fell off a horse. SPEAKS VOLUMES." Others were shocked at Meghan's lack of empathy, particularly during her Trooping the Color debut. "I thought he had fallen onto the ground (bad enough) but this was asphalt. Who could possibly think that's funny?" another Reddit user asked. People clearly expected a caring response from members of the royal family, and Meghan's failure to deliver this was frustrating.

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, turned around several times during the 2019 Trooping the Color to speak with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. This was a problem because the royal family is expected to face the public from the Buckingham Palace balcony and remain engaged with the parade and performances. Because its one of the biggest events of the year for senior members of the royal family, all individuals are expected to be on their best behavior, so Meghan repeatedly turning around to speak with her husband made her look as though she were disengaged from the momentous event. And Harry clearly didn't like it, as during the national anthem, "God Save the Queen," Harry sharply told Meghan to "turn around." Meghan did, and it looked like the comment really hurt her feelings.

For fans of the royal family, the Trooping the Color is a day steeped in tradition and pageantry, so Meghan's balcony behavior was incredibly frustrating. People on X vented their frustrations over a shared clip of the moment. "This is how much disrespect she had for the [royal family] she wanted to do things her way," one X user wrote. "She is too ill-mannered to realize that it's called being respectful and appreciating the fact millions of people have come to see the whole family in person and on TV. You don't turn your back on the public," another X user vented. Others called her childish and said she made a mockery of protocol.

Meghan Markle caused more frustration among royal fans when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex went to Morocco in February 2019, back when they were still senior members of the royal family. Meghan stepped in front of Prince Harry when greeting King Mohammed VI of Morocco, forcing Harry to address the king after she greeted him. Royal precedent amongst the British royal family is that the higher ranking member greets guests first, followed by the spouse. In this case, since Harry is royal by blood, he would have been expected to greet the king first, and then Meghan could say hello after her husband. 

However, Meghan cut off Harry and walked in front of him, breaking protocol by putting herself first. Royal fans on X were frustrated by this moment, particularly considering the fact that at this point, Harry and Meghan were still working royals. "Does she not understand protocol?" an X user asked in response to a clip of Meghan cutting in front of Harry to greet King Mohammed VI. "The Moroccans would have seen that as an insult," a netizen wrote on X. One photographer was so frustrated by the breech in protocol that he said, "She's repugnant" in the video clip. It was truly awful all around for fans and Meghan.

Counted among Meghan Markle's most awkward moments is her excessive public displays of affection (PDA) with Prince Harry. Royal fans know that members of the royal family don't indulge in public cuddles, kissing, or hand-holding. While there are no official rules, members of the royal family do follow unofficial protocol around PDA, meaning that at formal events, royal couples keep their hands off of each other as a sign of etiquette. In fact, this has been a common comment about William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales; the two rarely touch each other when out in public. 

There are numerous moments to recount of the Duke and Duchess of Sussux indulging in PDA. In fact, the two are somewhat famous for how much they handle each other in public. The Royal Family Channel, a YouTube channel owned by a U.K.-based broadcast company, shared images of the couple kissing, calling it a "rare" moment of PDA and royal fans aired their frustrations. "'Rare' PDA ... you're joking right? PDA is all they do," one YouTube user commented. "Fake PDA," someone else noted, insinuating that their public kissing was inauthentic. "There is nothing remotely rare about these two sharing a public PDA moment. It is exceedingly rare when they don't," still another added on YouTube. Even after leaving the royal family, royal enthusiasts still expect a level of decorum in public from Harry and Meghan. 

Ah, yes, the infamous couch curtsy moment. On Netflix's "Harry & Meghan," Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, described in vivid detail the first time that Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, brought her to meet his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. As Meghan went on to talk about how strange the formalities were around meeting the queen, she acted out an elaborate curtsy, likening the experience of meeting the queen to a Renaissance Faire. While it seems like Meghan was trying to be funny, royal fans were extraordinarily offended by the scene, and many counted the moment as one in a long list of moments when Meghan snubbed Queen Elizabeth and the royal family.

Royal fans felt that Meghan was mocking the queen. "Meghan doesn't respect anyone. Not old people, not her own family, not Harry, and not the Queen of England," someone tweeted on X beneath a clip of the infamous curtsy. Another person lumped Harry into the dilemma because he didn't stop Meghan. "I think this is the most disgusting thing they both have done. Vile! [If] they dared to mock HMTQ in their program, they would dare to say anything behind closed doors," the individual wrote on X, clearly very upset about the curtsy joke. Others were also upset that Harry sat by while Meghan carried out the curtsy next to him. "Happy wife happy life ... But making disrespectful fun of HMTQ is unforgivable!" another X user noted. For royal fans, this really crossed a line.

Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle followed the famous tradition of the royal walkabout following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The four of them greeted mourners outside of Windsor Castle on September 10, 2022 despite rumored tension between the two couples. Royal protocol, or expectation, is that royal aides gather flowers and place them at the gates while the royal family greets mourners and well-wishers. This way, the royals can have their hands free to greet others. However, the Duchess of Sussex, may not have understood this and declined the aide's, well, aid.

People on Reddit were frustrated by the incident, assuming Meghan wanted to place the flowers by the gate because it would look better for her. "She wanted THAT photo of her tenderly laying flowers that she had promised a grieving fan," a royal fan wrote on Reddit. "Meghan Markle struggled to act that she was there for the funeral and not a photo-op," another individual wrote on Reddit commented. Conversely, people noted that the Prince and Princess of Wales understood the role of aides taking the flowers and passed the bouquets along. "Princess Cathrine and Prince William show so much grace just by saying thank you to the security guard taking the flowers for them," a fan commented on a YouTube video of Meghan's interaction with the aide. In contrast, Meghan's misunderstanding with the palace aide was beyond confounding to royal fans.

Royal fans got flustered all over again after seeing that Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, used the title HRH (Her Royal Highness) in a gift card after leaving the royal family. The incident became common knowledge when Meghan appeared on The Jamie Kern Lima Show in April 2025, and Lima noted that Meghan had dropped off a gift basket for her earlier. Lima shared a photo of the gift and fans noticed that Meghan had signed the card with HRH. Back in 2020, a spokesperson for the Sussexes explained the situation. "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain members of the Royal Family and remain named and titled as such. As explained in the January [2020] announcement, from Spring they will formally retain their titles of 'His/Her Royal Highness' but no longer actively use their 'HRH's," the statement read, per People. 

However, royal fans had absolutely no patience for Meghan's continued use of the HRH title, particularly with friends. "Do any royals use their HRH designation with their friends?! That's absurd," someone vented on Reddit. "She made fun of having to curtsy to the Queen, meanwhile she is making her friends call her Your Royal Highness," another Reddit user wrote, calling out hypocrisy. "If you are so horrified by the RF institution in the first place and want to leave its shackles, why would you want to use the HRH title?" someone else asked. It's a fair question, and one that really bothered royal fans. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex traveled to Nigeria for a three-day visit in May 2024, and one of their stops was at the the Lightway Academy in Abuja. For the occasion, Meghan Markle wore a peach-toned dress by Heidi Merrick that was sleeveless and bare on her back save for straps. Meghan's low-back dress had tongues wagging, not to mention the slightly nude shade, and this led royal fans to question her wardrobe choices for the trip. While they weren't technically on a royal tour, the trip very much had a royal tour feel to it, making Meghan's choice of dress that much more frustrating.

People were deeply upset by Meghan's dress and felt like it was an inappropriate choice for a school visit. "Faux royals on a faux tour — awkward introductions galore. Meghan Markle is wearing a $575 Heidi Merrick maxi dress, way too long, way too revealing. But expect nothing less!" someone tweeted on X. Another user called out Meghan for several mishaps, including the dress and stepping in front of Prince Harry to greet people first. Dressed Inappropriately? Check. Dress Too long? Check. Awkward movement? Check. Ahead of Harry? Check," the X user noted. "The dress is wrong in so many ways and a terrible color for her. Her stylist must hate her. Yikes," a third X user added. If she had still been part of the royal family, a palace aide would have advised her differently.

In 2023, when Meghan Markle joined Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, for the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, she ignited frustration from royal fans by choosing to wear shorts. It wasn't just that. On the day she showed up in cream shorts with a tonal blazer, Meghan led the parade, marching ahead of veterans and athletes. It was confusing for many as to why the Duchess of Sussex led the parade, considering she's not a veteran nor an athlete, and it was uncomfortable that she took such a central role in what has historically been Harry's thing. Her choice of attire being so casual only made the situation worse. 

Royal fans, expecting a sharper sartorial presentation, were bothered by Meghan's look. "Nothing is worse than the outfit with no pants that she wore while leading the military parade ... and open toed sandals. So disrespectful," a frustrated netizen wrote on YouTube. "It reveals her complete disregard (ignorance?) of how to dress for the gig entirely," someone else chimed in. "So disrespectful and childish," another user commented. People felt like the outfit was totally wrong for the event and that a veterans parade earned a more respectful outfit. Working royals would have likely dressed differently for such an occasion.

Royal fans couldn't get over Meghan Markle's comments about work when she made an appearance on The Jamie Kern Lima Show in April 2025. Lima asked Meghan about her schedule and Meghan gave a lengthly response about how busy she was. "Oh my gosh, I work so hard and I appreciate what hard work looks like, I like working hard, and I'm still working hard, right? The moment that everything sells out it doesn't mean that we're done," Meghan told Lima. In this list of chores, she included things like writing social media captions and picking outfits for shoots.

What made it so frustrating for royal fans was that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex historically complained about their time as working royals, but they left that life to pursue something different. For Meghan, this now includes her Netflix show, "With Love, Meghan," as well as her brand, As Ever, and other ventures. And yet, as Meghan lamented about working so hard, she came off as whiny and impossible to please, according to royal fans, especially considering that the late Queen Elizabeth II was a hard worker. "She's embarrassing herself and isn't even self-aware about it. Wow," someone tweeted on X. "Does she really knows what real hard work is? I doubt it," another person asked. "She's insufferable. So out of touch," someone else added. It really didn't go down well with folks especially after how much Meghan complained about the royal family.

Meghan Markle sat down for an interview with Bloomberg Originals in August 2025 and talked about having to wear pantyhose back when she was a member of the royal family. She said that pantyhose felt "inauthentic" and looked back on the time as one where she wasn't able to express herself or be as vocal. For fans of the royal family, the clip was frustrating. The fact that Meghan was still talking about something as trivial as pantyhose seemed petty, and people were left wondering why she was still talking about this.

Royal fans just didn't have the patience for this. "Some women have to deal with poverty, violence, and abuse, but Meghan had the toughest battle of all ... pantyhose. What a warrior," a user commented on YouTube. "You live in a 16-bathroom home now, and you are STILL complaining about not getting to live your authentic life seven years ago because you had to wear pantyhose????" another added. "I'm baffled. She was employed by the royal family and wearing certain clothing descriptions was required (tights) — like many jobs. Nurses wear scrubs — they aren't being inauthentic because they don't wear scrubs outside of the hospital — it's just part of the job," a third noted. People were really frustrated by that moment during the interview.