Meghan Markle has experienced several awkward moments involving bouquets over the years, and a resurfaced video has once again brought one of those incidents into focus.
During her years as a working royal, the Duchess of Sussex was occasionally at the centre of scrutiny over flowers. One notable incident occurred during a Windsor walkabout in September 2023, when she appeared to struggle with a royal aide over a collection of bouquets.
In the days following the Queen’s death, Meghan was seen alongside Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, helping royal aides gather floral tributes. She was later involved in a disagreement over what should be done with the bouquets.
Another memorable moment came in October 2018, when Prince Harry stepped in after Meghan was handed an especially large bunch of flowers. Joking with the well-wisher, he said: “You can’t give flowers that big to my wife, what is that all about?”
Now, as the couple prepares to return to Nottingham tomorrow for their first official joint appearance since coming back to the UK, social media users have revisited an awkward moment from a previous visit to the historic city.
On 1 December 2017, shortly after announcing their engagement, Harry and Meghan carried out their first official walkabout together. They greeted members of the public outside the National Justice Museum and Nottingham Contemporary as part of World AIDS Day events.
On 1 December 2017, shortly after announcing their engagement, Harry and Meghan greeted members of the public outside the National Justice Museum and Nottingham Contemporary during a World AIDS Day visit.
As more bouquets were handed over, Harry appeared to take on the role of his then-fiancée’s unofficial attendant, quickly gathering the flowers she had received.
The prince stood awkwardly behind Meghan for several moments before she eventually turned around and accepted the flowers from him.
While speaking with members of the public, Meghan continued chatting and shaking hands as well-wishers handed her flowers.
As the bouquets began to pile up, Harry appeared to step in and help, hurriedly collecting the flowers and waiting behind his then-fiancée until she turned to take them from him.
Meghan was then seen smiling and gesturing gratefully towards the well-wisher while holding another bouquet of sunflowers.
Although Harry’s gesture appeared thoughtful, royal commentators pointed out that it could also have created a potential security concern.
For security reasons, royal protocol generally requires aides to collect gifts and flowers from senior royals quickly. This allows items to be checked for anything concealed and helps the walkabout continue at an appropriate pace.
Once they have undergone security checks, large quantities of flowers are typically redistributed to hospitals, churches or charities at the end of the day.
Keith Roy of the Monarchist League of Canada told Good To Know: “The gifts are often given away to the different charities that they’re highlighting.”
This week’s appearance will mark Harry and Meghan’s first joint public engagement since they returned to the UK as “private citizens”. The couple is due to take part in a series of unofficial, quasi-royal engagements across the East Midlands.
Meghan Markle faced another awkward floral moment during a Windsor walkabout after the Queen’s death, when she appeared to struggle with a royal aide over bouquets in September 2023.
After Meghan’s lunch with Malala at Claridge’s and Harry’s difficult trip to the rugby, the couple will attend several charity events in Nottingham. Their schedule includes a visit to a community food project created in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Nottingham is also the city where Harry and Meghan undertook their first royal walkabout together in 2017.
The Duchess of Sussex, 45, has also been unveiled as the new face of a Los Angeles charity supporting single mothers, wearing a £76 ($100) jumper that has already sold out.
The sweatshirt, embroidered with the words ‘It’s the little things’ on the back and sleeve, was presumably chosen by Meghan.
She promoted the special edition cream and chocolate brown design shortly after sharing a video of Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, riding scooters through a grand English estate as a herd of deer wandered nearby.
While Harry was at the rugby in Leicester on Friday – but was booed by the crowd when he appeared on screen.
The Sussexes are expected to visit three charities in Nottingham on Thursday, including the Community Recording Studio, where Meghan is due to take part in an acting workshop. One source said she will ‘definitely’ be returning to the stage and screen.
Amid rumours she is keen to secure a role in the next series of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix drama The Gentlemen, a friend said: ‘She’s been sent lots of scripts, which she’s looking at.’
