UNACCEPTABLE: Meghan Markle ‘leaves beloved TV star upset’ with odd request
Meghan Markle reportedly asked not to be referred to as “royalty” during a MasterChef appearance despite retaining her Duchess of Sussex title.
Meghan Markle ‘leaves beloved TV star upset’ with odd request (Image: Getty)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry travelled Down Under in April for a whirlwind visit, during which the Duchess of Sussex made a celebrity guest appearance on MasterChef Australia. However, recent reports have suggested the appearance may not have gone entirely to plan.
The Duchess, 44, allegedly left judge Poh Ling Yeow “upset” after the TV personality introduced her as “royalty”. Following her wedding to Prince Harry, 41, in 2018, the late Queen Elizabeth II granted Meghan the title of Duchess of Sussex and the style of Her Royal Highness (HRH). Although the couple stepped down as working royals just two years later, they retained their royal titles.
However, as part of the agreement reached with the late Queen when they left royal duties, the Duke and Duchess agreed not to use their HRH styles for public or commercial purposes.
During Meghan’s guest appearance on MasterChef Australia, it has been claimed that the Duchess and her team instructed producers not to refer to her as “royalty”. The reported request raised eyebrows, as Meghan remains a member of the Royal Family and retains the title of Duchess of Sussex, while her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, also continue to hold royal titles.
However, judge Poh Ling Yeow was heard using the term as she welcomed Meghan onto the programme. In the clip, Yeow said: “We’ve had MasterChef royalty in the kitchen before, but no one like this.”
She then added: “All the way from sunny California, please welcome to MasterChef Australia… the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle!”
According to reports, the former Suits actress was left “very frustrated” by the remark, which in turn reportedly left Yeow feeling upset and distraught.
Meghan Markle made a guest appearance on Masterchef when she jetted down under in April (Image: Masterchef Instagram)
According to Sky News, one insider claimed: “It wasn’t about Meghan personally. Poh felt she had been unintentionally drawn into a royal protocol issue she never intended to be part of.”
Meanwhile, a second source alleged that Yeow, 52, wanted to personally reach out to the Duchess to apologise, but was advised against it.
The source claimed: “She was willing to reach out immediately. But she was advised to leave it for production to handle.”
Poh Ling Yeow allegedly was left “upset” over a blunder mentioning the term “royalty” (Image: Instagram)
The reported reaction may come as a surprise to some royal fans, as Meghan has previously been publicly credited using her ducal title.
During her now-cancelled podcast, Archetypes, she was credited simply as “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex”. Likewise, on her Netflix series With Love, Meghan – which she hosts and executive produces. She is also credited as “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex”.
Just last April, another debate surrounding the use of her royal style emerged after a video shared online by podcast host Jamie Kern Lima showed a gift basket accompanied by a card reading: “With the Compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex.”
According to sources close to the Sussexes, the couple do not use their HRH styles in commercial or public settings, and the card related to a private gift that had been sent more than a year earlier.
Sources close to the California-based couple also rejected suggestions that the card breached the agreement reached when they stepped back from royal duties.
