Picture: RICHARD HEATHCOTE / POOL / AFP
What should have been seen as a genuine emotional moment exhibited by Meghan Markle at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday, is now being questioned and scrutinised across the globe.
Pictures of the Duchess of Sussex wiping away her tears during the queen’s state funeral has gone viral on social media, sparking a debate about whether or not her waterworks were real or if she was just putting on a show for the cameras.
Meghan and her husband Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has had a strained relationship with the royal family ever since they renounced their duties as working royals in February last year.
The duo’s interview with Oprah in March 2021, strained the relationship between Harry, his wife and his family even more.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, Australian television presenter and journalist for the Nine Network, Karl Stefanovic, questioned Meghan’s emotional display while discussing the pictures of the former actress wiping away a tear rolling down her cheek, with his co-anchor Allison Langdon and royal photographer Chris Jackson late on Monday, by alluding that she was ‘apparently’ crying.
Body language expert Adrianne Carter told the Daily Star that it is hard to tell whether or not Meghan’s tears were real sadness, adding that the former Suits actress certainly knew that an emotional response like that would be spotted and photographed.
Carter added that Meghan’s face in the photo didn’t show much muscle movement which she claimed would be activated with genuine emotional expressions.
However, the Mail Online reported that Meghan is Stefanovic’s least favourite Royal family member, which could be why he decided to take a swipe at her.
This catty comment might have been the first step in casting doubt on Meghan’s tearful performance, but the nail was hammered into the coffin when an old video clip of The Duchess of Sussex bragging about her ability to cry on cue resurfaced.
In the video clip it looks like Meghan is being interviewed about her career as an actress. Someone off camera asks her if she can make herself cry, to which she responds that she can actually do it really well.