Let’s be clear: the royal family has never been “huggers.” Not with the public. Not even with each other. Now, with press images showing William embracing people in carefully curated photo ops, the palace’s PR machine wants you to believe that warmth and intimacy were always part of “The Firm.”

But history—and even Tatler—say otherwise.

In an earlier era, Princess Anne was blunt about it. “We don’t hug,” she said in interviews. Even with her own children, Anne emphasized decorum over emotion. In The Crown, this stoic posture is dramatized often, but it’s rooted in truth: royal protocol discouraged physical intimacy. Not because it was written down, but because it was cultural. Distance was dignity.

So where does this “new hugging” narrative come from?

Meghan Markle.

From the moment she entered royal life, Meghan was tactile, emotional, and deeply affectionate—traits that were celebrated when Diana did them, but vilified when Meghan did. Royal correspondents labeled her “too familiar,” “too American,” “unprofessional.” The tabloids accused her of “disrespecting protocol” for hugging children, holding hands with Harry, and being openly warm.

Harry himself told us how it went down. In Harry & Meghan (Netflix, 2022), he recalled Meghan trying to hug William and Kate—and how they “bristled” at the gesture. “They were not huggers,” he said. “That was a big shock to me.”

It wasn’t just a personal preference. It was weaponized.

Meghan’s warmth was held up as evidence that she didn’t understand the job. She was othered for her emotions. Her body language was dissected. Her gestures labeled “inappropriate.” She was punished—socially, professionally, and publicly—for being open.

Now? That same openness is being retroactively claimed as a royal virtue. In the face of declining public sentiment, the royal family has quietly rebranded. Suddenly, everyone’s hugging. Charles. Camilla. William. Even Anne has cracked a smile. But it’s not authenticity—it’s optics.

This isn’t evolution. It’s imitation.

They ostracized Meghan for making the monarchy more human. Now they’re copying her to survive.

Let’s not forget how they reacted when Michelle Obama touched the Queen. The Daily Mail ran panicked headlines. The BBC questioned the faux pas. But somehow, when Meghan offered kindness and physical warmth—particularly in her iconic 2018 Australian tour—she was mocked as performative.

Today, the palace wants to co-opt the image Meghan helped modernize, without acknowledging where it came from—or apologizing for the cruelty she endured.

And the internet remembers.

As @nattyharfer pointed out, “They’re not huggers. This is new, unnatural and foreign to them. They’re emulating Meghan and Diana.”

@teamharryandmeghan was even more direct: “They used hugging, touching and holding hands to crucify Duchess Meghan… only to turn around and copy.”

It’s not warmth. It’s spin.

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