Meghan Markle’s first Paris Fashion Week appearance has gone viral after footage appeared to show her giggling when a model stumbled on the Balenciaga catwalk.
The Duchess of Sussex, seated on the front row alongside her close friend and Soho House executive Marcus Anderson, was filmed gasping and briefly covering her mouth before laughing and turning to speak to him. While Anderson remained impassive, Meghan quickly returned to watching the runway.
A representative for the Duchess later insisted she was not laughing at the model and was instead reacting to “a moment shared with a friend.” However, the clip divided fans online, with some accusing her of poor etiquette and others defending her as being “caught at a bad angle.”
A longer clip of #MeghanMarkle being the only one laughing at..something. Marcus doesn’t seem very amused by her though. She knows the cameras are in her so pulls the coquettish act and it’s gross. #MeghanMarkleExposed #MeghanMarkleIsAMeanGirl pic.twitter.com/RUSERY5AGb
— Princess CarParkle 👑 (@unreMARKLEble) October 6, 2025
The moment came amid a series of awkward encounters during her fashion-week whirlwind. Behind-the-scenes video appeared to show Meghan attempting to chat to Slow Horses actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, who seemed to turn away mid-conversation.
Scott Thomas, 65, is a close acquaintance of the royal family and received her damehood from the late Queen in 2015 after portraying Her Majesty in Peter Morgan’s play The Audience.
Over the weekend, Meghan was also criticised for an Instagram Story showing her feet resting on the seat of a chauffeur-driven car as she travelled along a route close to the Pont de l’Alma tunnel — where Princess Diana died in 1997. Critics called it “insensitive,” while supporters argued the Duchess may have been unaware of the symbolism.
Later, Meghan shared a separate highlights reel showing her trip past the Arc de Triomphe and her preparations with longtime makeup artist Daniel Martin, but notably left out the earlier driving clip.
At Balenciaga, the Duchess opted for an all-white silk shirt, cape and trousers from the brand’s collection, paired with £745 heels. Her confident strut as she left the venue drew both praise and gentle mockery, with some social-media users comparing her to Ben Stiller’s Zoolander character.
A spokesperson said Meghan attended “in support of her friend and collaborator Pierpaolo Piccioli” and that it marked her “first time back at fashion week in over a decade.”
