Meghan Markle Not To Blame For 'Absurd' Duchess Announcement During Meeting, Royal Expert Says

Meghan Markle's interview with Harper's Bazaar caught public attention after it was revealed that the Duchess of Sussex announced two guests with her royal title.

This led to the former actress facing heavy criticism; however, a royal expert has come to Meghan's defense, noting that she was not to be blamed for the awkward incident.

It comes weeks after it was revealed that Meghan Markle's ex-husband always knew she would end up marrying Prince Harry.

Harper's Bazaar reporter, Kaitlyn Greenidge, recently highlighted a seemingly awkward moment when Meghan arrived for their meeting at a grand brownstone on the Upper East Side belonging to one of the duchess's friends.

Despite there just being two guests at the location, Meghan was announced with flair as the "Duchess of Sussex."

Greenidge recalled, "When I enter, the house manager announces, 'Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,' even though we appear to be the only other two people in the house."

This has led to Meghan facing scrutiny for allegedly clinging to her royal title despite stepping down as a working royal. However, expert Jennie Bond has come to her defense, noting that the mother of two was likely not to blame for the "absurd" announcement.

"It sounds so absurd, given the context that this was the second time the interviewer was meeting Meghan, and the first had been so relatively informal, sharing burger and chips at a restaurant," Bond said, per the Daily Express.

"So I suspect that this was simply a house manager getting overly pompous about the fact that there was a Duchess in the house," Bond continued, noting that "Americans tend to get very excited about titles."

The expert added, "It simply doesn't sound like the huggy, friendly Meghan we see portrayed elsewhere. So, I don't think we should start criticising Meghan for this."

The defense of Meghan comes weeks after reality TV star Bethenny Frankel shared some surprising insights about the duchess's ex-husband, Trevor Engelson, during an episode of "The Toast" podcast with Claudia Oshry.

According to Frankel, Engelson was confident from the start that Meghan would one day marry Prince Harry.

The Skinnygirl Margarita founder, 54, said that she first met Engelson in 2016. They bumped into each other at Chicago's Soho House and shared some flirtatious moments before their relationship briefly turned romantic.

During this time, Engelson mentioned that he had previously been married to a woman from the TV show "Suits."

At the time, Frankel admitted she didn't know Meghan or the show. Months later, when photos of Meghan and Harry surfaced, she texted Engelson: "Is this your ex?"

He confirmed it, and when she asked if Meghan would "close," as in end up married, Engelson confidently replied, "Oh, she'll close."

Frankel later recalled texting him on the eve of the royal wedding: "Holy sh-t, your ex is going to be a princess!"

Meghan and Engelson first began dating in 2004 and eventually married in September 2011.

However, the pair, who never had kids, got divorced in 2014, citing "irreconcilable differences."

After their split, Meghan briefly dated Canadian chef Cory Vitiello before being introduced to Harry by mutual friend Misha Nonoo in May 2016.

Two years later, the couple tied the knot at St George's Chapel in Windsor, and now live in Montecito, California, with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, after exiting the royal family.

During her podcast chat, Frankel also addressed the so-called "photo-gate" surrounding Kris Jenner's 70th birthday party, where images of Meghan and Harry were reportedly deleted at their request.

She suggested the couple wanted to avoid the public seeing them "hobnobbing with the Kardashians."

Reflecting on Meghan's public persona, the "Naturally Thin" author commented: "She's trying to be so many different things," referencing Meghan's rise from a moderately known actress to a global figure after her Oprah interview.

Frankel continued, "And I just don't think that she herself is fully aware of who she is. It's very difficult to be front and center at the Kardashian 70th party and then also be many of the things she wants to be."

Meanwhile, sources have offered their own version of what allegedly went down at Jenner's star-studded bash.

According to an insider who spoke to journalist Rob Shuter, Meghan and Harry were "horrified" by the overwhelming presence of cameras from the moment they arrived.

"Their worst nightmare come true," the source noted, adding that the Sussexes expected the event to be an "elegant, private evening." However, it turned out to be a full-blown "Kardashian chaos" with cameras everywhere, drones outside, boom mics in chandeliers, and crews filming for "The Kardashians."

Meghan was said to look mortified, while Harry attempted to hide his discomfort. The couple left before midnight, narrowly missing a surprise Bruno Mars performance. "They came to network and got reality TV," the insider added.