Meghan Markle was caught in an awkward blunder after she went in for a hug on stage, but was snubbed while she was speaking at a conference.
Meghan Markle was caught in an awkward blunder after she went in for a hug on stage, but was snubbed while she was speaking at a conference.
On Friday, The Duchess of Sussex travelled to Texas to speak at a women’s panel titled Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen panel during the 2024 SXSW Conference and Festival alongside Errin Haines, Katie Couric, Brooke Shields, and Nancy Wang Yuen.
After she was introduced as a speaker, Meghan walked onto the stage, and attempted to give host Errin Haines a hug.
However, Errin turned away, causing Meghan to respond by awkwardly place her hand on her back.
A video of the interaction was uploaded onto X, with many agreeing that the Duchess should not have tried to go in for a hug.
User @unreMARKLEble, who uploaded the video said: “Not everyone is. Read the room. Some people don’t want their personal space invaded, even by a Duchhhesss.”
Notably, Meghan has previously described herself as a “hugger”, claiming it was not a gesture welcomed by the Royal Family.
Speaking in episode two of the six-part Harry & Meghan Netflix, Meghan described her first awkward interaction meeting Prince William and Princess Kate.
She said: “When Will and Kate came over, and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot. I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger, I didn’t realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.
“I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside.
“There is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door and go ‘You can relax now’, but that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me.”