What was meant to be a quiet, respectful screening at the Sundance Film Festival quickly turned into another controversy with Meghan Markle at its center. During the premiere of the documentary Cookie Queens, the Duchess of Sussex made an unexpected and widely criticized move by stepping onto the stage to deliver remarks—despite the fact that, according to long-standing Sundance custom, such introductions are reserved strictly for the film’s director and featured participants.

Attendees familiar with festival protocol were reportedly stunned. At Sundance, order and restraint matter. The filmmaker, sometimes joined by the documentary’s subjects, is traditionally the sole voice before a screening. Yet in what observers described as a “rare and awkward deviation,” a festival programmer introduced Meghan Markle as an executive producer and invited her to speak. Several insiders later admitted that the moment felt forced, unnecessary, and uncomfortable, as if the natural rhythm of the event had been abruptly interrupted.

What drew even more attention was Markle’s insistence on being introduced by her royal title. Once again, she appeared on stage as “Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex,” a detail that many viewers felt was deliberately emphasized rather than incidental. “It was supposed to be about the film,” one attendee commented quietly after the screening. “Instead, it suddenly became about her.” The contrast between the modest subject matter of Cookie Queens and the grandeur of a royal title only amplified the sense of imbalance.

Meghan is hugged as she arrived at the screening yesterday with Harry in the background

Compounding the unease was the absence of Prince Harry. While Markle referenced “my husband and I” during her remarks, Harry did not appear beside her on stage, prompting whispers among the audience. Some interpreted his absence as intentional, others as symbolic. “It felt like she wanted the spotlight entirely to herself,” one film industry guest remarked. “If this was a joint production, why was she standing alone?”

Meghan was interviewed alongside Cookie Queens director Alysa

During her speech, Meghan praised Cookie Queens as “cute, powerful, and deeply meaningful,” framing it as a modern reflection of American tradition and girlhood. While the words themselves were not controversial, critics argue that the issue was never what she said—but that she said anything at all. “Her comments weren’t offensive,” noted one festival regular, “but the act of inserting herself into that moment crossed an unspoken line.”

Royal commentators were less restrained in their assessments. Several described the appearance as a textbook example of what they see as Markle’s pattern of self-promotion. One columnist remarked that the moment felt “choreographed to elevate her status rather than the film,” while another bluntly labeled it “desperation disguised as advocacy.” On social media, similar sentiments spread quickly, with viewers calling the move “cringe,” “attention-seeking,” and “embarrassing.”

What troubled critics most was the sense that Markle appeared to override established norms with ease, as though rules simply did not apply. “Sundance isn’t a red carpet photo op,” said one independent filmmaker. “It’s a space where the work is supposed to speak first.” By stepping forward uninvited, some felt Markle unintentionally undermined the very project she claimed to support.

The reaction online mirrored the discomfort in the room. Viewers questioned why an executive producer—particularly one with no on-screen role—would be given precedence over the creative team. Others fixated on her continued reliance on her royal title, despite repeated debates over its appropriateness outside official royal duties. “She left the institution,” one commenter wrote, “but she refuses to leave the title behind.”

Ultimately, the Sundance incident has reignited a familiar debate surrounding Meghan Markle: is she a passionate advocate using her platform, or a figure unable to step out of the spotlight, even when etiquette demands restraint? For many watching, the answer seemed painfully clear. What should have been a celebration of Cookie Queens instead became another headline about Markle herself—an outcome that left not only critics shaking their heads, but supporters quietly wondering whether this moment could have been handled very differently.

Far from boosting her image, the appearance appears to have backfired. In a space defined by artistic humility and respect for process, Meghan Markle’s decision to take the stage was widely viewed not as empowerment, but as overreach—one that, according to many present, left her not triumphant, but visibly out of place.