Many of us remember our most awkward moments—and while they might be embarrassing, they usually happen in private. Not for the British royal family and those in the public eye. For these people, your most embarrassing moments can be seen by millions of people. Here are Meghan Markle’s most awkward moments to date.
An award mix-up
When Markle was engaged to Prince Harry, she was given the task of presenting awards at the 2018 Endeavour Fund ceremony, which provides support for injured and sick military members. Onstage, there was a mix-up with the notes, leading to an awkward silence. It turned out Markle and her co-presenter had different notes! Fortunately, they eventually sorted it out within a few minutes.
She couldn’t stop laughing in church
In March 2018, at the Commonwealth Day Service, Liam Payne performed a John Mayer song. After the performance, most of the audience applauded, but Meghan and Harry were filmed sharing a knowing glance, with Harry raising his eyebrows at Meghan while she erupted in raucous laughter.
Confusion over protocol
Royal protocol isn’t easy to remember. In one clip, Markle is walking behind the queen, with a security detail telling her to go in the backseat of a vehicle. She panics, asking the queen if she wants to go first. Her grandmother-in-law responds, “You go first.” While this may be seen as good manners, it’s proper etiquette for the queen to sit behind the driver.
An almost fall
In the days following the car confusion, the duchess wore a flowing Oscar de la Renta gown and heels. While walking on grass (which we all know is nearly impossible in heels), she slipped on the grass while walking with her husband. Fortunately, he was there to provide support and prevent it from becoming a full-on fall with grass stains.
Birthday wardrobe malfunction
When attending a friend’s wedding in 2018 on her birthday, Meghan’s top button of her dress became undone, showing off a black lace bra. For us normals, not that big of a deal. For someone recently married into the conservative royal family, it was a relatively awkward moment.
Rubbing Harry’s back in front of kids
The royal family certainly isn’t into PDA, and even an innocent back rub has been called into question. Regarding the clip in question, which shows her rubbing his back as he greets schoolchildren, one person tweets, “Not ‘affectionate’ at all but rather a constant reminder he should know she is around and ‘deserves’ his full attention. Very embarrassing coming from a 40-year-old woman.”
Royally snubbed with a scarf
A video surfaced online showing supposed tension between Prince William and Meghan. While she tried to talk to her brother-in-law, he ignored her, instead spending time adjusting his scarf. Body language expert Judi James told Cosmo that while it might be distancing due to tension, it might also be wanting to avoid “public emotional displays” that might put the spotlight on him.
Wearing earrings from a controversial Saudi prince
When Prince Harry and his wife travelled to Suva, Fiji, she wore earrings gifted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. At the dinner, there was a crisis over the news that a Saudi journalist called Jamal Khashoggi was killed by the Saudi Arabian government at the prince’s behest, turning the earrings into an instant PR crisis.
Telling Oprah she was an only child
During that famous tell-all Oprah interview, Meghan Markle and her husband made allegations about how toxic the British royal family is. She called herself an only child despite having two half-siblings from her dad’s side of the family. One of them sued Meghan for not mentioning them in the interview, but the case was ultimately dismissed in court. Still, it was certainly an uncomfortable moment!
When a guest threw shade on “With Love, Meghan”
In season 2, Episode 7 of the show, Meghan and her friend Heather Dorak were joined by a mixologist guru called Payman Bahmani-Bailey. As the mixologist attempted to tell the women a bit about his background, Meghan interrupted him and asked if he had ever watched her show “Suits.” It was an awkward moment that drew attention away from Bahmani-Bailey and put it back on her. He responded by saying no, adding that he didn’t watch “basic cable” and preferred “shows with curse words and stuff.” Burn!
Multiple disasters at Paris Fashion Week
In October 2025, Meghan Markle attended Paris Fashion Week in glamorous designer clothes but still faced multiple fiascos. She attempted to give a designer a cheek kiss but almost kissed his lips. She was caught on camera laughing at a model who stumbled on the runway, and she put up her feet in a limo right as it was passing by the Pont d’Alma tunnel, where Princess Diana died.
