The Duchess of Sussex has been accused of putting on an act during her latest public appearance with Prince Harry, with a royal commentator questioning her behaviour and choice of clothing.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex travelled to Brussels on Tuesday (November 10) for the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial at the European Parliament, which honours children who have died following harm suffered online. It was Meghan's first public appearance since her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., was arrested by the FBI in Florida on Friday (November 6).
Father's Arrest and Court Proceedings
The 82-year-old was charged with one count of possessing child sexual abuse material after investigators searched two storage units in Los Angeles. He has denied the allegations. Following his initial arrest, Thomas was released under strict conditions, including wearing an electronic ankle monitor while under home detention. However, he was taken back into custody on Tuesday after prosecutors said he had cut off the monitoring device.
A judge subsequently revoked his release and ordered him to remain in custody while the criminal case continues. Meghan had been expected to deliver a speech alongside Harry at the Brussels event but withdrew from the speaking programme. Harry instead addressed the event alone, speaking about the importance of protecting children from online harm.
Commentator Questions Duchess's Demeanour
Meghan's appearance has now come under scrutiny from commentator Carole Malone, who questioned whether the Duchess was deliberately trying to look upset. Speaking on the latest episode of the Daily Express's Royals Unscripted podcast, titled 'My SOURCES TOLD ME...' Meghan & Harry Drama LEAKED, Carole suggested Meghan's choice of clothing was intended to send a message.
She said: “God forgive me, but there’s a part of me that thinks there was a lot of acting going on here. You know, we know she’s an actress, as you said at the start. And I noticed the way she was dressed yesterday. She was trying very hard to keep her face in one position, not to smile because, you know, that would be frowned upon. But I also noticed that she pared down what she was wearing.
“She was wearing what looked like black trousers and a black coat. All the jewellery, the wedding stack, was not there. She had the simple gold, Welsh gold wedding ring, which is very thin. And she didn’t have anything. She had one bracelet on her hand. She’d pared the whole look down. And that tells me that the way she looked was important for the cameras. She wants to look like a broken woman, I suspect.
“I can’t actually believe that she is broken over this because she’s had eight years to think about this and eight years in which she could have talked to her father. She could have talked to the FBI. She could have talked to the Met Police in this country and then talked to the FBI, and she hasn’t done any of that.”
Background and Podcast Details
Meghan has previously said she was deeply distressed by the allegations involving her father and has spoken about receiving troubling information about him several years ago. The latest episode of Royals Unscripted also discusses developments surrounding Thomas Markle's case and King Charles's tour of the Caribbean.
Royals Unscripted is the Daily Express's weekly video podcast, hosted by Express Royal Editor Emily Ferguson and commentator Carole Malone. The 30-minute programme is released every Thursday at 7am and is available on YouTube and all major podcasting platforms.
