It’s been two years since Netflix released the Harry & Meghan docuseries on Dec. 8, 2022 to mixed reviews. While some gushed over the couple’s love story, others were critical of some scenes that appeared to disrespect the royals, specifically the late Queen Elizabeth II.
One scene in question was when Meghan Markle recalled her first meeting with her grandmother-in-law at the Royal Lodge with Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson in attendance. She remembered the unexpectedness of that moment and how Prince Harry gave her last-minute instructions on how to do a curtsy.
“It’s surreal. It wasn’t like some big moment of like, ‘Now you’re going to meet my grandmother.’ I didn’t know I was going to meet her until moments before,” she shared in episode 2 of the show. Meghan continued: “And I remember we were in the car and we were driving up and he’s like ‘You know how to curtsy right? ‘And I just thought it was a joke.”
The former Suits star then recollected the meeting and performed what viewers deemed an exaggerated curtsy to the camera with her arms spread out and her head bowed down to her knees. “Pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty,” she said giggling as the camera panned to Harry looking rather unimpressed.
According to body language guru Jesús Enrique Rosas, the Duke of Sussex appeared uncomfortable with his wife’s actions. He claimed the discomfort was visible on his facial expression and explained: “The first part of Harry’s reaction tells me that he knew what was coming. He is serious even if Meghan is speaking quickly, joyfully but there’s no connection, no empathy in him. He is serious and maybe even angry, notice what happens with his throat, he is swallowing at that moment.”
Rosas also pointed out that Harry’s flushed face when he looked at Meghan pretending to curtsy is a sign of contempt. He explained: “A split second after that, he looks away and presses his jaw. You can see the patches of red on his face are much redder – the cheeks, the bridge of the nose, the temples – it could be that he feels ashamed or angry.”
The body language “expert” labeled it as “covert anger” and not Harry being “ashamed” because if it was the latter, then he “would have smiled a bit more” or gave off a “nervous laughter.” However, he claimed that the Duke “knew what was coming and he couldn’t stand it.”
Meghan’s curtsy is probably one of the most talked about scene in Harry & Meghan. On social media, the reactions were varied with some accusing the Duchess of Sussex of disrespecting Queen Elizabeth II and others saying they cringed at the sight.
Others thought the scene was difficult to watch despite it being filmed before the Queen’s death in September. 2022 But mostly, people accused Meghan of mocking the late Queen. Others defended her saying she was mocking herself during that situation and not the Royal.
Despite the criticism that the curtsy scene garnered, Harry & Meghan drew a large audience. It’s the only project from the Sussexes’ multi-million deal with Netflix that became a massive hit, as the others that followed, Live to Lead, Heart of Invictus, and Polo, failed to impress viewers.