The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and pop icon Beyonce Knowles are two of the most celebrated black women today.
So, when they finally got the chance to meet in person people were really excited, and that’s putting it lightly. Their meeting at the recent ‘The Lion King’ premiere in London was even described by some publications as ‘internet-breaking’.
But while people saw the two women seemingly at ease with each other, even sharing a hug, they don’t know the interesting things that happened out of the public eye.
Mutually Nervous
According to various reports, both women were actually nervous about meeting the other prior to their introduction.
Queen Bey’s jitters were also confirmed by her ‘The Lion King’ co-star Billy Eichner in a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel. According to the comedian, who plays Timon in the film, Knowles along with the Disney movie’s entire cast were nervous about meeting royalty.
He also talked about the email that they got prior to the event which detailed the protocol they needed to follow for their interactions with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. As the email detailed, the cast was expected to address the royal couple as ‘Your Royal Highness’ and to only speak once they’ve shaken hands.
But in the end, though, the affair went on well with Knowles and the Duchess even having a short talk about their babies and hugging each other.
Breaking Protocol
Despite the successful meeting though people still noted how the singer broke a lot of royal protocol.
First, Bey made a major faux pas when she arrived at the event after Markle and Prince Harry have already walked the premiere’s red carpet. What more, she reportedly addressed the royal as ‘my princess’ instead of the more appropriate ‘Your Royal Highness’ as mentioned in the email.
And of course, Knowles also notably went beyond the suggested handshake to give Markle a full-out hug. She even congratulated the couple for the arrival of their first child, Archie last May. Also present was Knowles’ billionaire husband Jay-Z.
The premiere marked another break from Markle’s maternity leave which would reportedly end come the fall season.
Red Carpet Outing
For the event, Markle wore a black $2,450 Jason Wu dress with a straight neckline and some sheer long sleeves. She completed her red carpet look with some pointed back pumps, a Gucci clutch and some Nikos Koulis earrings. Meanwhile, her hair was styled in a low and neat bun.
The London premiere of the film was actually put up in support of the royal couple’s conservation efforts which they are undertaking through their new foundation. In connection with this, Disney has also made a donation toward Prince Harry and Markle’s cause.
