Meghan’s painfully awkward moment with curtsying woman

One woman’s attempt at nailing royal etiquette has resulted in a disastrously uncomfortable onstage encounter with the Duchess.

Meghan Markle has made her first public appearance since her and Harry’s explosive ITV documentary aired — but it didn’t go as smoothly as one might hope.

The Duchess of Sussex looked effortlessly stunning as she arrived at the Royal Albert Hall for the One Young World Summit opening ceremony but was faced with a painfully awkward encounter, reports The Sun.

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Taking to the stage to greet one of the One Young World founders, Kate Robertson, a relaxed and beaming Meghan went in for a friendly hug.

But Kate had other ideas and tried to hug, shake Meghan’s hand and curtsy all at the same time.

It started off OK … Picture: Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images

… oh dear. Picture: Gareth Fuller/POOL/AFP

In the mega awkward moment, Meghan shakes her head in confusion — while Kate, realising what has happened, tries to accept Meghan’s hug — but is still kneeling to curtsy.

In a split second, the pair both realise what has happened and laugh it off before hugging it out in a warm embrace.

According to the One Young World website, Meghan is a “longstanding supporter” of the organisation, having joined as a counsellor at the 2014 summit in Dublin.

The Duchess is vice-president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, which has partnered with One Young World to bring 53 people to the summit.

Meghan was a high-profile guest at this year’s event. Picture: Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images

Kate and her One Young World co-founder David Jones said in a statement: “We are thrilled that the Duchess of Sussex will be returning to our stage.

“She is a much-loved member of the One Young World community who has supported us since 2014; she’s an inspiration to young leaders all over the world, and we’re delighted to be partnering with the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, of which the Duchess is vice-president, to provide scholarships for young leaders from every Commonwealth country to attend the One Young World Summit in London.”

The Duchess of Sussex stunned in a purple midi dress for the event.

The Aritzia dress, which initially cost £81 ($A152) but has now been reduced to £29 ($A55), was first seen on Meghan while she was pregnant with Archie in January.

She recycled a dress from her maternity days. Picture: Gareth Fuller/Pool/AFP

At the time, Meghan had joined Prince Harry to visit Birkenhead and had paired the vibrant frock with bright red accessories.

It was Meghan’s first appearance since the explosive ITV documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, aired on Sunday night, in which the Duchess spoke openly about the pressures of royal life.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission