Meghan Markle appearing to bow to Princess Charlotte during her wedding ceremony went newly viral after her anniversary.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are celebrating seven years since they tied the knot at St George’s Chapel, in Windsor Castle, in May 2018.
And a clip from the ceremony went newly viral on TikTok in the aftermath, showing the moment Meghan appeared to bow as Princess Charlotte passed her in the aisle.
BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images
Why It Matters
The footage was liked 84,600 times and viewed 1.1 million times after being posted in the days after Harry and Meghan’s anniversary.
What to Know
It is not completely clear whether Meghan intended to bow out of respect or simply dipped her head to make eye contact with Charlotte, who then aged 3 was significantly smaller than her.
Charlotte was a flower girl at Meghan and Harry’s wedding alongside the children of other friends including the Duchess’ one-time Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney.
At the time, welcoming Prince William and Princess Kate’s daughter to play an official role in the wedding appeared a natural and positive move.
However, Charlotte’s role is mainly now linked in the public and the media’s imagination to an argument between Meghan and Kate over Charlotte’s dress not fitting.
First, there was a story in the Daily Telegraph in November 2018 suggesting Meghan made Kate cry. Then, Meghan told Oprah Winfrey in 2021 it was the other way around before Prince Harry gave a more detailed account in his book, Spare, in 2023.
He wrote that Kate told Meghan: “Charlotte’s dress is too big, too long, too baggy. She cried when she tried it on at home.”
“Right,” Meghan replied, “and I told you the tailor has been standing by since 8 a.m. Here. At KP. Can you take Charlotte to have it altered, as the other moms are doing?”
According to Harry, Kate said: “No, all the dresses need to be remade.”
In Spare, the prince suggested the argument between them ended with Meghan on the floor in tears while Kate later apologized.
More recently, Meghan marked her anniversary on May 19 with an Instagram post giving a rare glimpse of her own children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The couple usually hide the youngsters’ faces in online photos but in these their features were visible.
The images were small, however, as they were pinned to her wedding anniversary “mood board,” along with some previously published pictures and the words to “Stand by Me,” one of the songs performed during the ceremony.
Meghan wrote: “A lifetime of stories. Thanks to all of you (whether by our side, or from afar) who have loved and supported us throughout our love story—we appreciate you. Happy anniversary! ❤️.”
What People Are Saying
The post sparked some debate in the comments where fans disagreed about whether they thought Meghan had made a respectful gesture to Charlotte.
One fan replied: “Meghan is so respectful for bowing to princess Charlotte,” while another said: “No, she didn’t. She smiled at everyone but Charlotte.”
Another wrote: “Are they trying to gaslight us in the comments I see her bowing her head and smiling?”
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.