Meghan Markle has faced criticism over a meal choice after relocating to Britain with Prince Harry and their two children. The Duchess of Sussex has kept a low profile since leaving the US in August, but her friend Kelly McKee Zajfen offered a glimpse into her new UK life in a recent Instagram post.
Amidst the quaint view of England painted by photos of countryside walks and pub lunches, commentators spotted what appeared to be a "sacrilegious" misstep by Meghan. Russell Myers and Jennifer Newton, hosts of The Mirror's Pod Save The King podcast, singled out an image of the duchess's plate of fish and chips, combining tartar sauce with gravy, in an episode released on Sunday.
Podcast hosts condemn gravy combination
Mr Myers declared eating gravy with fish and chips "a sacrilege". "You'd have chips and gravy, but not with tartar sauce," he said. Ms Newton added: "If it was curry sauce, I can say 'fair enough'. But not with the gravy."
While gravy paired with fish and chips may be unusual in southern England, it is a more common combination in the north, where it is also regularly eaten with pies, sausages and chips from a chippy.
Return to Britain marked by tensions
Meghan and Prince Harry's sudden relocation to Britain from California was widely viewed as a dramatic U-turn, six years after they stepped down as working royals and left the country on strained terms with other members of the Royal Family.
Their first month back on UK soil hasn't been smooth sailing, including a public spat with Buckingham Palace over their status, their children moving schools just two days into the autumn term and further tension with King Charles over a book published by Earl Spencer about Harry's late mother, Princess Diana.
Privacy concerns and supportive words
The duke and duchess also hit out at "unacceptable intrusion" after international paparazzi were seen looking into the grounds of Princess Archie and Princess Lilibet's new school this week. Their spokesperson branded the incident "extraordinarily reckless".
Despite the furore that has surrounded them in recent weeks, Ms McKee Zajfen said Meghan had been given a "loving" reception in Britain which was "beautiful to witness" in her Instagram post.
The Californian, who appeared in the duchess's Netflix lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan, wrote: "There's something so special about getting a taste of this magical place with my bestie ... We're leaving with full hearts and definitely leaving a piece of ours here. To everyone we've met or bumped into, thank you for being so loving to my friend. It's been beautiful to witness. She missed you too!"
