Meghan Markle could have put herself and Prince Harry in danger when she clumsily refused to hand over her bouquet of flowers to royal assistants this weekend, a royal expert said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reunited with Prince William and Kate Middleton on Saturday for a walk outside Windsor Castle, where they brought flowers to lay in honor of Queen Elizabeth II.
But Markle, 41, raised eyebrows when she was caught on video telling an assistant she didn’t want to hand over her flowers – and it took a second assistant to get the actress to part with the bouquet.
“From my perception it makes sense [Meghan and Harry] would not hold onto large items given to them from the public just for security reasons,” royal expert and political commentator Jonathan Sacerdoti told Vidak For Congress on Tuesday.
Sacerdoti said it is customary for members of the royal family to follow protocol, especially during high-security risk moments such as their walk in Windsor.
“They should have been accompanied by assistants. Everyone in the royal family who participates in the grieving process is clearly in a stressful position and they all rely on the team of advisors and planners who work with them. So I think it would be normal to take the advice and just go with the plans that have been put in place,” he said.
The British royal commentator also noted that the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 40, had no problem obeying the royal assistants’ requests.
“William and Kate know how it is. They take the bouquet and pass it on to the assistants standing right behind them. They can’t carry all those flowers. The assistants will put them with the other tributes,” Sacerdoti said, adding, “There may be a security risk if you’re handing things over.”
Sacerdoti found the incident particularly interesting given the huge concern of the Sussexes about their security situation in the UK. As Vidak For Congress previously reported, Harry, 37, has fought with the British government for not having enough security across the pond since he resigned from the Royal Family.
“When they get into these situations, it’s a higher risk security situation because they’re high-profile people, and they’re the very people who complain about their safety, so it’s risky to take the advice of the people there around you. act not to follow,” he said.
Sacerdoti added: “A bunch of flowers is a bunch of flowers, but there can be anything in those flowers.”
It wasn’t clear why Markle wouldn’t hand over the flowers, but some believe it was all for optics.
‘Why wouldn’t she drop off her flowers? We don’t know,” Sacerdoti said, pointing out it could be because Markle “wanted to be seen with the flowers” or had an “iconic photo” moment where she “kneaded herself to put them down.”
The British journalist also stressed that breaking protocol is nothing new for Markle, as she has attracted a lot of attention for going against the royal family for years.
“It generally makes sense to follow the rules, but I don’t think Meghan Markle enjoys following the rules, especially if it’s British rules,” he said, adding that the days of mourning are not the time to break rules.
“Now is the time to be part of the team, to blend in, to take some of the burden off everyone else. They did that to be honest with them, but the question is how you do it.”
He continued: “That’s why people were concerned about Meghan Markle’s presence. Because this moment is all about the Queen’s contribution and it shouldn’t be about us talking about Meghan Markle.”
Sacerdoti said it was appropriate for Markle to attend the ceremony as she is “part of the family” but feels she should not honor Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
“We just hope we can focus on the late queen and the new king,” he said.
Markle and Harry’s performance with William and Kate has already been a topic of discussion, as it marked the first time the foursome had appeared together in public on Commonwealth Day since March 2021.
The Queen died last week at the age of 96. Though Markle hasn’t released an official statement yet, her husband shared a touching tribute to his grandmother this week.
“Grandma, although this last goodbye brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all our first encounters – from my earliest childhood memories with you, to the first time I met you as my commander in chief, to the first moment you have my dear woman and embrace your beloved great-grandchildren,” he said in a statement posted to the Archewell Foundation’s website.
Harry added: “I cherish these moments I’ve shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed.”
The Queen’s eldest son, King Charles III, now sits on the British throne.