Meghan Markle's dramatic Paris trip - from awkward kiss to real reason for visit

Meghan Markle certainly causeda stir after making a dramatic appearance at Paris Fashion Week on a surprose trip to the French capital. The visit marked Meghan’s first trip to mainland Europe in three years, with Prince Harry nowhere to be seen.

The Duchess of Sussex made her debut at the Balenciaga show, sitting in the front row, dazzling in a chic all-white ensemble. She later changed outfits into a gorgeous black dress with an asymmetrical neckline for a Balenciaga after-party. Although it was only a quick trip to the French capital, Meghan’s visiy garnered a lot of attention and criticism, from fans sharing their divided thoughts on her outfits, and one awkward run-in with a top designer quickly going viral.

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Real reason for trip

Meghan travelled to Paris on Saturday, where she attended the Balenciaga show for their Spring/Summer 2026 womenswear design showcase.

Many asked why Meghan appeared at this particular show during the event, and it appears she is friends with the fashion designer Pierpaolo Piccioli - Balenciaga's new creative director - who wore his designs when he previously worked at Valentino.

A spokesman for the duchess said: ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attended the Balenciaga show in Paris on Saturday night in support of Pierpaolo Piccioli, who recently assumed the role of creative director for the house.

“This marks her first time back to the shows in over a decade. Over the years, the duchess has worn a number of designs by Pierpaolo. They have worked closely together collaborating on design for key moments on the world stage.

“She has long admired his craftsmanship and modern elegance, and tonight was no different. This evening reflects the culmination of many years of artistry and friendship, reflected in her support for his new creative chapter at Balenciaga.”

Paris Fashion Week is one of the biggest events in the social calendar for the fashion world, with the shows coming to a close on Tuesday.

Awkward kiss

At the show, Meghan had the opportunity to meet up with her fashion pal, before she took her seat in the front row.

But an awkward moment between the two was captured on camera and posted to TikTok, which appeared to show Meghan going in for a kiss on the cheek to congratulate the designer - but instead she appeared to hit her nose on his sunglasses.

As the cameras were on them, the designer appeared to laugh off the incident before grabbing Meghan's hand to get a picture taken together. After thanking the designer, Meghan then finished off the awkward encounter with a brief hug.

An expert then revealed how the awkward clash went down, and says it was actually Piccioli who caused Meghan to accidentally butt heads with him.

Judi James, a body language expert, told The Mirror : "It was Piccioli who created the 'cringe' moment for poor Meghan, getting way too close to greet and speak to her, leading to a lack of reading her non-verbal cues when they air-kissed, leading in turn to a nose-clunk when they each aimed in the wrong direction."

"He also kept his shades on, which wouldn't have helped, and tried to take control of Meghan by turning her to face the cameras. She swiftly regained control herself, putting her arm out to steer him," she added.

Analysing the footage of their encounter, Judi continued: "When the photos were over though Piccioli moved in for a close-quarters hug with Meghan, whose immaculate white outfit that was so carefully arranged should have warded off any form of grabbing and squeezing."

Friends or foes?

At the show, Meghan reunited with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, years after rumours emerged of a rift between the two women. Rumours of a feud between Anna and Meghan have previously surfaced, but the pair were seen chatting, with Anna telling Meghan it was, "Nice to see you".

The two exchanged kisses on both cheeks before Wintour looked at Meghan's outfit and uncharacteristically gushed: "Beautiful, Cherie. You look amazing."

For some, the tender moment appears to have quashed persistent rumours of a rift between the two, following supposed tensions at Vogue surrounding Meghan's alleged "demands", when she assumed the position of guest editor for a British Vogue edition in 2019.

The magazine vanished from shelves in just 10 days, becoming the swiftest-selling edition in the fashion publication's entire history. The Forces for Change edition saw Meghan spend seven months collaborating with former Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, crafting an edition that honoured trailblazing, inspirational women.

However, Meghan's alleged "demands" to the Vogue team reportedly caused a rift between her and Enninful, with claims that she even approached Wintour after being told by Enniful that her requests couldn't be accommodated.

It's reported that Meghan decided to cancel the entire feature that was planned after her demands were not met by either Enninful or Wintour, leaving Enninful "furious".

However, insiders told Page Six that despite the disagreement over Meghan's coverage in 2022, the pair maintain a "warm and respectful" friendship, even exchanging birthday wishes and occasionally sending each other flowers.

Dramatic look

For the Balenciaga show, Meghan wore a white oversized cape over a button-down shirt of the same colour. She paired the light attire with black pointed-toe heels, and she kept her hair in a slicked-back bun.

Upon seeing her first look of the evening, some fans appeared less than impressed by her ensemble, with many taking to social media to share their opinions on her look.

One fan commented: "My bed sheets after a restless night", whilst another wrote, "Ugh! it's giving Bed bath and Beyoncé".

She later changed outfits into a gorgeous black dress with an asymmetrical neckline for a Balenciaga after-party. Meghan’s hair stylist Ben Skervin posted about her look, writing in the caption: “Well that was fun !!!! Meghan made her [Paris Fashion Week] debut to support her good friend in his first show for the house. We were channelling Sade with a slick bun look.”