A royal correspondent has revisited an incident from Meghan Markle’s first overseas tour, describing it as an early indication that her expectations did not match the realities of royal life.
Simon Vigar, one of Britain’s longest-serving royal correspondents, reflected on the Duchess of Sussex’s 2018 visit to Suva Market in Fiji during an interview with Fox News Digital.
Meghan’s appearance at the market was cut short, with security concerns given as the official explanation at the time. Vigar, however, questioned that account.
“If it was a security issue, the Scotland Yard bodyguards would never have allowed her to arrive,” he said. “They have an advanced team there. They have a team with her. They wouldn’t have let her get out of the car if they thought it was a big security issue.”
The correspondent also considered whether the heat, the busy surroundings or a possible illness had played a part in the abrupt departure. However, he said none of those explanations appeared to fit what he witnessed.
“Was it because it was too chaotic or too hot? Well, it wasn’t chaotic really,” Vigar explained. “It was a very well-planned route through the market. It may have been illness, although that’s not what Team Sussex said. In which case, why come down in the first place? And she looked OK.”
Looking back, Vigar recalled a particular moment when the atmosphere suddenly shifted.
“There was a moment in the market where she looked at one of her assistants and the whole mood changed,” he said. “It all went fast-forward. And my cameraman was being pushed out of the way.”
The early exit also left some local women disappointed after they had waited a long time for the chance to meet Meghan.
“The women I was with had been waiting for ages to see her,” Vigar recalled. “One of them had handmade raffia fans with Harry and Meghan in them. She didn’t get to meet her. She just zoomed past her, and that was that. Meghan was off. It was very strange.”
In retrospect, Vigar believes the incident offered an early glimpse of the difficulties Meghan would later experience within the Royal Family.
“I suppose that was an early sign in retrospect,” he concluded. “That was an early sign that there was a mismatch in expectations.”
