Meghan Markle has raised eyebrows by joking that she curtsied like a restaurant greeter when meeting the late Queen for the first time. The Duchess of Sussex reenacted her exaggerated curtsy in the highly-anticipated Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, when sitting next to Prince Harry on a sofa.
She admits she "didn't know what she was doing", and likened her curtsy to that performed by restaurant greeters at Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament. Recalling her curtsy, Meghan said: "Americans will understand this, we have Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament - it was like that". The restaurant stages medieval-style games such as jousting and sword-fighting for customers to watch while tucking into their meal.
Staff usually greet customers at the door with a curtsy before showing them to their seats and taking their orders.
Many royal fans have criticised Meghan for comparing such a historical occasion to a "tacky" themed-venue.
A statement on Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament's website reads: "Medieval Times is an exciting, family-friendly experience inspired by an 11th century feast and tournament.
"Guests are served a four-course banquet as they cheer for one of six knights competing in the joust and other tests of skill.
"Expect almost two hours of jousting, swordsmanship, thrilling hand-to-hand combat, displays of extraordinary horsemanship and falconry as part of a riveting story set in Medieval Spain.
"Medieval Times also features an excellent bar, gift shop, Hall of Arms displaying medieval artefacts and a Museum of Torture."
In the Netflix series, Harry reveals that introducing Meghan to his grandmother was a "shock to the system", especially since the late monarch was one of the first senior royals she met.
Meghan said: “There wasn’t like some big moment of ‘Now you’re going to meet my grandmother’. I didn’t know I was going to meet her until moments before.
“We were in the car and we were going to Royal Lodge for lunch, and he’s like ‘Oh, my grandmother’s here, we’re going to meet her after church.’ And I remember we were in the car driving up and he’s like ‘You know how to curtsy, right?’ And I just thought it was a joke."
Harry adds: “How do you explain that to people? How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother? And that you will need to curtsy. Especially to an American. That’s weird.”
Before Meghan said: “Now I’m starting to realise ‘This is a big deal’. I mean, Americans will understand this… We have medieval times, dinner and tournament. It was like that.”
But according to body language Judi James, Meghan's curtsy re-enactment left her husband feeling uncomfortable, as she suggested he performed a "cut off" gesture.
She told the Mirror: "Meghan is the more chatty and natural speaker during their interview and here she sits talking confidently and readily in a slightly gossipy style as though talking to a girlfriend she is keen to amuse.
"Her joke is self-effacing as she speaks about her curtsy when she first met the late Queen. Her smile becomes asymmetric, pulling up on one side to register a shared joke.
"Harry, however, is already watching her carefully, turning to gaze at the side of her face with his own facial expression looking less turned to 'fun' than hers.
"Meghan does an extravagant mock-curtsey that does, as she says, look Medieval. It takes her eight seconds to perform, making it a long joke but there is no change in Harry’s more serious facial expression until the end, when he lets out a small, mirthless laugh.
"As Meghan mentions ‘Your Majesty’, the direct reference to the late Queen, it does seem a small step too far for Harry who quickly drops his head down to perform a cut-off ritual that partially hides his face, suggesting some discomfort at this point."
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