Meghan Markle ‘Reached Out’ About Attending Balenciaga’s Fashion Show

Balenciaga’s creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli, has spoken out about Meghan Markle‘s head-turning appearance at Paris Fashion Week.

He shared that the Duchess of Sussex was the one who requested to attend his Balenciaga show, describing her visit as unplanned yet delightful.

Meghan Markle’s surprise appearance sparked viral moments, including backlash over a video showing her near the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, where Princess Diana died.

In a recent interview with The Cut, Balenciaga’s new creative director  Piccioli revealed that Meghan’s headline-making appearance at Paris Fashion Week wasn’t the grandly orchestrated moment many assumed.

According to Piccioli, the duchess reached out to ask if she could attend his show, rather than being formally invited.

While a spokesperson for the duchess described the event as “the culmination of many years of…friendship,” Piccioli painted a more casual picture of their relationship, explaining that they’ve exchanged messages over the years.

The designer admitted that her request came as a pleasant surprise.

“Meghan and I met some years ago, and we’ve been texting ever since. She reached out and said she’d love to come to the show,” he said, adding that there was “no strategy or big orchestration” behind her appearance.

Her unannounced trip to Paris, which reportedly spanned nearly 10,000 miles, was kept tightly under wraps, even by Piccioli himself.

“I didn’t tell anyone she was coming because I wanted it to stay a surprise,” he explained. “In fashion, real surprises are rare, and this one was beautiful.”

Meghan’s surprise high-profile appearance at Paris Fashion Week made headlines worldwide, not only for her stunning fashion choices but also for several moments that sparked online conversation.

Social media buzzed over several awkward on-camera encounters: one clip showed her and Piccioli accidentally bumping heads while greeting each other, while another appeared to capture Meghan laughing after a model stumbled on the runway, as her companion, Soho House creative director Marcus Anderson, remained stone-faced beside her.

Another behind-the-scenes video captured an uncomfortable exchange between the duchess and British actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, who seemed to turn away mid-conversation, leaving Meghan momentarily at a loss.

Adding to the chatter, days before the show, the As Ever founder drew criticism for an Instagram Story video that showed her feet propped up on the leather seat of a minivan as she was driven along the same Paris route near the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, where Princess Diana tragically died in 1997, sparking intense backlash online.

Although many believe Meghan’s viral video was an innocent mistake, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told OK! Magazine that he doubts the moment sat well with Prince Harry.

“I suspect Harry will be horrified and extremely angry, because the video links to the most traumatic period of his life,” Fitzwilliams said, per The Mirror. “He would be aghast, because even though it wasn’t intentional, it was a very bad mistake.”

The royal expert added that Meghan’s position makes such missteps more damaging.

He said, “Meghan simply cannot afford to behave like that, because of who she is and the fact that she has made herself into a brand. Her airily filming part of Paris, while it wasn’t intended to offend anybody and was clearly a mistake, was grossly insensitive, and these mistakes hold weight.”

Fitzwilliams also noted that Prince William likely viewed the video as “an ill-judged and self-centered mistake.”

He suggested that the situation could put Harry in a challenging spot, balancing his instinct to protect Meghan with the public fallout.

“He is unable to shield Meghan from the repercussions of her mistake; it cannot be undone,” he said.

Fitzwilliams continued, “If the average person filmed a video like that, it wouldn’t matter. But every single thing Meghan does is scrutinised, by friend or foe.”

In the wake of the backlash, insiders told the Daily Mail that Harry was deeply unsettled by the public’s reaction, believing that his mother’s memory had been unfairly weaponized against Meghan.

Friends close to the couple emphasized that the Duchess had no idea she was anywhere near the Pont de l’Alma tunnel when the now-viral video was filmed, dismissing the notion that the moment was deliberate.

“Harry was left hurt and upset,” one insider explained. “Diana’s death was used as a stick to beat his wife with. [Meghan] did not even pass close to the tunnel. The whole thing is a joke, but not a very funny one for Harry.”

“He was left feeling hurt, but the depressing thing is, he wasn’t even that surprised. He was more despondent than shocked,” the source added.

Friends of Meghan have also pushed back against claims that the Duchess intentionally passed through the area, describing it as “a hell of a stretch” and insisting she was unaware of the car’s exact route.