Paris has been engulfed in controversy following Meghan Markle’s solo visit to the French capital, which many say evoked painful memories of the late Princess Diana.
The Duchess of Sussex turned heads in an elegant all-white ensemble as she attended the Balenciaga Fashion Week show, accessorized with her diamond engagement ring. However, what began as a glamorous fashion appearance soon transformed into a public relations storm after Meghan shared a video on her Instagram account, where she has 4.2 million followers.
The short nighttime clip, filmed from inside a private car driving along the River Seine, showed the vehicle passing the Pont Alexandre III and then the Pont de l’Alma — the tunnel where Princess Diana lost her life in 1997.
The post immediately drew fierce backlash on social media, with many questioning whether Meghan understood the painful symbolism of the location. Critics recalled that she was 16 years old when Diana died and would likely be familiar with her husband Prince Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” in which he described his trauma when driving through the same tunnel in 2007.
In his book, Harry wrote about asking his driver to travel at 65 mph — the same speed at which his mother’s car had been moving before the fatal crash.
Online reactions to Meghan’s video were overwhelmingly negative, with users on the X platform (formerly Twitter) calling her post “insensitive” and “disrespectful.” Royal commentators also voiced disbelief at her decision, with Britain’s Daily Mail describing their reaction as “beyond astonishment.”
Despite the uproar, Meghan appeared to enjoy her Paris evening, sharing moments with Vogue editor Anna Wintour and later attending a dinner in a backless black Balenciaga gown. Still, the shadow of Diana loomed large over her visit.
Even her stay at the Plaza Athénée Hotel, located near Place Diana, a memorial dedicated to the late princess, added to the emotional weight of the controversy. The trip marked Meghan’s first visit to Europe since attending the 2023 Invictus Games in Germany.
In response to the criticism, Meghan’s team released a statement clarifying that the visit aimed to support designer Pierpaolo Piccioli in his new collaboration with Balenciaga, emphasizing that it marked her return to the fashion scene after more than ten years away.
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