People Were Outraged That Prince Harry and Meghan Held Hands During Service for the Queen, But Had No Problem With Zara and Mike Tindall Doing the Same

Yup, makes total sense!

Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Peter Phillips arrive in the Palace of Westminster after the procession for the Lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II on September 14, 2022 in London, England. Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is taken in procession on a Gun Carriage of The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where she will lay in state until the early morning of her funeral. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.
(Image credit: Photo by WPA Pool / Getty)

Since Meghan Markle first started dating Prince Harry publicly, and then again since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the UK and their royal duties behind, they can't seem to put a foot right in the eyes of certain royal watchers.

Their latest offence? Holding hands during a service for the Queen as she began her lying in state at Westminster Hall in London.

Tons of people are taking to Twitter to condemn this small gesture, while, as many others have pointed out, those same people seem to be perfectly fine with Zara and Mike Tindall doing the same thing. Hmmmm, weird!

"Harry & Meghan holding hands as they leave Westminster hall is so disrespectful," wrote one user.

"What a shame. Meghan and Harry just had to draw attention to themselves by holding hands. Totally inappropriate but what else can you expect?" asked someone else.

"Meghan and Harry holding hands at every opportunity...its almost childish and inappropriate," remarked another.

"Harry and Meghan holding hands? Bit inappropriate?" another person agreed.

Someone else wrote, "Harry and Meghan holding hands in the procession leaving Westminster Hall was totally inappropriate. I’m all for pdas, but there’s a time and a place."

Many other people were quick to come to the Sussexes defence. "Over recent years I have sometimes found myself defending Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but today I learn that they 'held hands in public' and that's it. They're on their own," joked one person.

Author Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu wrote, "How’s Harry and Meghan holding hands attention seeking? What kind of godforsaken rotten infested vermin must you be to be ‘offended’ they held hands at the Queen’s funeral? HIS GRANDMOTHER.

"Every abuse/harassment/attack targeted at them because of racist outrage at Meghan. SICK"

"Ok. People angry because Harry and Meghan held hands - you’re deranged. You know this, right?" commented someone else.

Still others called out the very evident double standards at play here. "Can someone explain to me why Harry and Meghan holding hands is now becoming an issue?" wrote one person.

"Had it been William and Kate they’d be praised for it.

"This nonsense, please."

Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall and Princess Eugenie walk as procession with the coffin of Britain's Queen Elizabeth arrives at Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace for her lying in state on September 14, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is taken in procession on a Gun Carriage of The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where she will lay in state until the early morning of her funeral. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III

(Image credit: Photo by WPA Pool / Getty)

It was all the more flagrant because, during the same event, Harry's cousin Zara Tindall and her husband Mike also chose to hold hands, but nobody appeared to be offended by this.

"Now the press is obsessed with Harry and Meghan holding hands and calling it 'inappropriate' because they are the only ones doing it. Zara Tindall (daughter of Princess Anne) and her husband are also displaying affection," wrote one Twitter user.

"Keep calling the double standard out."

Someone else remarked, "when meghan and harry hold hands they’re attention seekers who can’t stick to protocol but it’s crickets when it comes to the rest of the family… weird"

"Why is there so much rage about a women comforting her grieving husband? I don't see anything wrong with holding hands during a ceremony, to provide comfort. Other royals were holding hands, so why pick on Harry and Meghan?" tweeted another person.

Some food for thought for ya!

Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.