Meghan Markle has sparked global controversy after sharing a video on Instagram that many have called “insensitive,” filmed near the site where Princess Diana tragically lost her life.
The Controversial Clip
The Duchess of Sussex posted the short video on Sunday while attending Paris Fashion Week. In the clip, she appeared to be riding in a limousine through the French capital, capturing scenic views of landmarks such as Pont Alexandre III and Pont des Invalides.
However, what drew outrage was the proximity to the Pont de l’Alma tunnel — the very location where Princess Diana and her partner, Dodi Fayed, died in a car crash on August 31, 1997, while being chased by paparazzi.
As the car passed nearby, Meghan, 44, casually placed her heeled feet up on the seat — a moment she shared with her more than four million Instagram followers. Critics quickly slammed the gesture as “thoughtless” and “deeply inappropriate,” given the emotional significance of the location to Prince Harry, whose mother died there.
Royal Expert Calls It “Insensitive Beyond Belief”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams described Meghan’s post as “insensitive beyond belief.” He remarked, “I don’t understand what on earth she was thinking. No adviser would ever advise doing something so strange.”
While acknowledging her right to attend fashion events, Fitzwilliams added, “To share a video which had any connection with the tragic death of the Princess of Wales defies belief. She couldn’t possibly have intended to be disrespectful, but it’s another example of the Sussexes doing something that makes no sense at all.”
He also suggested that Prince Harry would likely be upset by the post, saying he “couldn’t imagine the Duke of Sussex would find the clip very appropriate … she could hear plenty from him about it.”
Public Reaction Online
The backlash quickly spread across social media. One user on X wrote, “Please tell me that’s not real? She didn’t actually do that … did she?” Another commented, “Regardless of specific location, filming herself driving through Paris at night is sending exactly the message she intends to send.”
Others were far harsher, with one person posting, “The woman is a horrible creature.”
Harry’s Painful Connection to the Location
The controversy comes just months after Prince Harry opened up about the grief of losing his mother. In a 2024 interview with Nikki Scott, founder of Scotty’s Little Soldiers, the Duke reflected on how he coped with her death.
“You convince yourself that the person that you’ve lost wants you or needs you to be sad for as long as possible to prove to them that they’re missed,” he said. “But then there’s this realization of, no, they must want me to be happy.”
Meghan’s Return to Europe
This marked Meghan’s first visit to Europe since 2023, when she and Harry attended his Invictus Games foundation event.
For her Paris Fashion Week debut, the Duchess stepped out in a stylish monochrome outfit at the Balenciaga Women’s Wear Spring/Summer show. She accessorized with a black suede Balenciaga handbag, matching £745 (AUD $1,518) Balenciaga Knife pumps, oval diamond earrings, and wore her hair neatly in a low bun.
Before joining the royal family, Meghan was no stranger to the fashion world, often attending New York and Toronto Fashion Weeks during her acting days on Suits.
Despite her polished appearance in Paris, the timing and setting of her recent post have reignited criticism toward the Duchess — and reopened old wounds tied to one of the royal family’s most painful chapters.
