A resurfaced clip shows Meghan Markle curtsying in unison with Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022.
The Duchess of Sussex's curtsies became a subject of heated debate after she told her December 2022 Netflix show Harry & Meghan she had made a mistake the first time she performed the respectful greeting for the queen.
Meghan told the show: "I mean, Americans will understand this, we have 'medieval times, dinner and tournament.' It was like that.
"'Pleasure to meet you, your majesty, was that OK?' It was so intense."
She recreated her attempt, giving a deep bow with arms outstretched on either side, rather than keeping her back straight and bending at the knees.
The anecdote sparked a backlash at the time, with commentators suggesting her account was mocking and insensitive.
However, by the time Meghan was required to perform a curtsy in honor of Elizabeth at the late queen's September 2022 funeral, her technique appeared to have improved considerably.
A video of the moment was viewed more than 350,000 times and liked more than 12,500 times after it was posted on TikTok.
It showed senior royal women outside Westminster Abbey, where the funeral service for Elizabeth had just taken place, on September 19.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Kate, Camilla and Meghan all curtsy as the queen's coffin passes by during a carriage process that their husbands took part in.
One comment on the video read: "I love how Princess Charlotte looks at her mom to bow her head down and then Prince George look at Charlotte and does the same."
Meghan's first curtsy to the queen came when the couple visited Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice at Royal Lodge, in Windsor, home to Prince Andrew.
Harry described it very differently to his wife in his book Spare, suggesting Meghan had, in fact, performed the greeting perfectly.
He wrote: "We entered the large front sitting room and there she was. Granny. The monarch. Queen Elizabeth II. Standing in the middle of the room.
"She turned slightly. Meg went straight to her and dropped a deep, flawless curtsy.
'Your Majesty. Pleasure to meet you.'
"Euge and Jack were near Granny and they almost seemed to pretend not to
know Meg.
"They were very quiet, very proper. Each gave Meg a quick kiss on the cheek, but it was pure royal. Pure British.
"There was some bloke standing to the other side of Granny and I thought: Bogey at twelve o'clock.
"Meg looked to me for a clue as to his identity, but I couldn't help—I'd never seen him before."
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more
