Meghan Markle is facing sharp criticism from royal commentators and social media users after posting a video on Instagram showing herself riding through central Paris near the Pont d'Alma tunnel - the site of Princess Diana's fatal car crash in 1997.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, shared a short clip from the backseat of a chauffeured car during her surprise appearance at Paris Fashion Week over the weekend. In the video, Meghan is seen with her feet resting on the seat as her car passes Parisian landmarks including the Pont Alexandre III and the Pont des Invalides. The next bridge along the route is Pont d'Alma, adjacent to the tunnel where Diana, her companion Dodi Fayed, and driver Henri Paul were killed.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams called the post "utterly bewildering," describing it as "beyond stupid" and "insensitive beyond belief." He told the Daily Mail, "I don't understand what on earth she was thinking - well, she can't have been thinking. No adviser would ever advise doing something so strange." Fitzwilliams added that while Meghan "has every right to go to fashion events," sharing a video with any connection to "the tragic death of the Princess of Wales defies belief."
According to RadarOnline.com, those close to Prince Harry, 41, expect he may take a "dim view" of the post given the enduring trauma surrounding his mother's death. Fitzwilliams suggested that Harry may privately express disappointment, noting, "I'm sure she didn't mean to cause offence ... but it's a complete absence of thought."
Public reaction online was equally fierce. One X user called Meghan an "American Psycho," while another wrote, "If driving towards Princess Diana's death scene is a message to Prince William then Meghan Markle is the devil." Others accused her of "a new level of EVIL."
Some users, however, defended the Duchess, suggesting the backlash was overblown. "I usually put my feet up as well," one wrote. "I don't believe this was done w/ malicious intent? I believe this was a human moment 4 a [woman] in heels."
A representative for Meghan did not respond to requests for comment. The former Suits actress attended the Balenciaga show Saturday wearing a white tunic-style ensemble with a flowing cape and black heels. Critics also questioned her appearance at the event, given the brand's recent controversies, but her team told Page Six she attended in support of Pierpaolo Piccioli, who became the brand's creative director in July.
The incident comes amid renewed public focus on Harry's own relationship with the site of his mother's death. In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry recalled driving through the Pont d'Alma tunnel in 2007, asking his driver to match the reported speed of Diana's car. "I'd had plenty of bad ideas in my 23 years, but this one was uniquely ill-conceived," he wrote. "I'd told myself that I wanted closure, but I didn't really."
