LONDON, ENGLAND: A new Amazon Video Prime series starring one of Meghan Markle's closest pals faced a major backlash after making a crude and sexual jibe about Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. Indian actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who has repeatedly backed the Duchess of Sussex, stars in 'Citadel', which is currently being screened on the streaming platform.
Chopra, 41, plays an elite spy agent Nadia Sinh in the five-part spy action series, 'Citadel'. In the third episode, she is reportedly involved in a scene with a crime boss named Balduino Basto, portrayed by Sen Monro. Mason Kane, a character played by Richard Madden, goes to visit Basto in Morocco under Nadia's instructions and she is reportedly speaking to him in his ear, instructing him what to say.
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According to the Daily Mail, Nadia instructs Mason to say, "The chief of armed forces? You might as well have asked me how to get between the legs of the Duchess of Cambridge!” Middleton likely still held the title of the Duchess of Cambridge when “Citadel” Season 1 was filmed and only became the Princess of Wales following the demise of Queen Elizabeth II in September. Regardless, it is obvious that the 'Quantico' star was aware of the crude remark about Middleton in the script, especially since she was a part of the scene.
'Priyanka will just be remembered as a mean girl'
Middleton's fans, however, weren't having any of it and excoriated Chopra on social media. "Another dork who talks about female empowerment while tearing down another woman due to her own insecurities," one tweeted. "The Princess of Wales, future Queen and mother to a future King. Beautiful inside and out. She will be remembered in history for all the right reasons. Priyanka will just be remembered as a mean girl along with her lying pal," someone else wrote.
Another Twitter user unearthed an old clip of Chopra saying she wanted to go on a date with Prince William. The actress was asked to pick her fantasy date and she picked William, who is next in line to the throne. "I would really like to go on a date with him," she said at the time. "I would really like to know what royalty at 23 feels like."
It's worth noting that Chopra and Markle, aged 40 and 41 respectively, have been close friends for years and the former even attended the 'Suits' alum's royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. Markle sensationally alleged that Middleton, 41, made her cry in the days leading up to her nuptials. It was previously claimed that Middleton was the one who broke down in tears, but Markle claimed that the "reverse" took place during a row over flower-girl dresses. “Everyone in the institution knew it wasn’t true,” the duchess alleged during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
Just months after Markle's claim, Chopra appeared to snub Middleton and Prince William at Wimbledon. The Bollywood star was seen in a video from the tournament refusing to acknowledge the royal couple as they took their seats just two rows in front of her.
That said, the relationship between Markle and Middleton doesn't seem to have made any headway in recent years. The Duchess of Sussex notably skipped King Charles III's coronation in a bid to "protect her peace" after William apparently told her to "sit at the back" if she decided to attend the event.
'Little Mermaid' too seems to take a jab at Princess of Wales
Speaking to Page Six, a reviewer said 'Little Mermaid' draws several comparisons between Markle and the lead character Ariel, who is a woman of color in this adaption, as well as Harry, 38, and Prince Eric, who are both white. One scene shows Ariel, who has sacrificed her voice to meet Eric, cannot speak and so he tries to guess her name. “His first guess is Diana. His second guess is Catherine, but after [Ariel gives a disgusted] reaction, he [concludes] ‘OK, definitely not Catherine,'" the reviewer told the outlet. The series, which reportedly cost over $300 million to produce, has not been reviewed well thus far.
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