Meghan Markle was brought to tears when she made her first public appearance in the UK this week.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who moved back to the UK in August, had their first official outing in Nottingham on Thursday.
The royal couple’s first stop was at the city’s Community Recording Studio, where they were greeted by a crowd of cheering fans, a stark difference after Harry was left “crushed” after being booed during a public outing in Leicester earlier this week.
‘She had water in her eyes’: Crowd support leaves Meghan Markle emotional
According to the Daily Express, while it appeared at first that only about 100 people had come out to greet the Sussexes, more people arrived at the last minute bringing the crowd number to between 150-200 people.
Meghan and Harry were also greeted by 60 members of the media who were there to report on the visit.
The couple did a 20-minute walk about to greet fans, some of who had brought flowers and balloons for the royals.
“I’m a Sussex supporter, as a woman and a mother I see what Meghan goes through daily, multiple articles written about her often false and debunked,” a woman named Ria Miller told the Daily Express.
“And I just want them to see that there are real people, not social media trolls or royal commentators. They are real people who see her, appreciate and love her, and respect her.”
Ria said she had the opportunity to meet the Duchess and hand her a bouquet of flowers.
“She’s a woman of colour. There’s a lot of micro-aggressions around it. What has she done? Has she killed anybody? I did speak to her. And I said, We’re proud of you. We support you. She had water in her eyes. It was a beautiful reception. (I am) very proud of Nottingham today.”
The day out in Nottingham marked the first time Meghan Markle has made a public appearance in the UK since 2022 and royal insiders say it was a “massive win” for the royal couple who are hoping to mend bridges with King Charles.
“This was a massive win,” an insider told Rob Shuter for his Naughty But Nice Substack. “They got exactly what they wanted: pictures of smiling crowds welcoming them home. You couldn’t script better publicity.”
Shuter also wrote that there were whispers that some supporters may have been “deliberately planted”.
“There are questions about whether everyone just happened to show up,” an insider alleged. “But American celebrities invite fan clubs to appearances all the time. It’s standard Hollywood publicity. The important thing is getting the shot.”
Meghan’s paranoia over Kate’s public move
The move came after Meghan was reportedly left feeling ‘humiliated’ after Kate Middleton took Princess Charlotte on the London Underground.
“Meghan believes Catherine knew exactly what she was doing,” a source told Naughty But Nice. “Harry and Meghan say Britain is too dangerous for their children, then Catherine casually takes Charlotte on the Tube. Meghan sees that as a calculated slap in the face.”
However, those close to Catherine said the accusation was “absurd” according to Shuter.
“Catherine doesn’t spend her days plotting ways to embarrass Meghan,” a friend told Naughty But Nice. “She was enjoying time with Charlotte. Meghan wasn’t even part of the conversation.
“Catherine was being a mother, not sending a message, Meghan needs to understand that not everything revolves around her.”
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