Poor Meghan. It seems the duchess just can’t catch a break.
As if it’s not enough to perform up to 76 engagements over a 16-day official tour while still new to the royal job, newly married and just pregnant, to beam endlessly, make small talk for hours, shake enough hands to give you RSI, watch countless dance groups, listen patiently to numerous choirs and accept enough bouquets to keep Elton John in flowers for years but if your feet aren’t in tip-condition, it will be noticed and the Internet will explode about it.
Yep, that’s right. The Duchess of Sussex slipped her shoes off at a powhiri welcome ceremony in Rotorua on the last full day of the Royal Tour with Prince Harry to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific and what made the news was the state of the Royal Trotters.
A bunion to the right and a surgery scar to the left – Meghan’s feet have been in the wars. (Image: Getty Images)
Bear in mind that the Duchess has worn heels for 34 out of her 41 outfits while the royal couple have been Down Under so is it any wonder her feet are complaining?
Just look at the way she’s twisting her left foot uncomfortably as she stands in heels watching a traditional dance in New Zealand earlier on in the day (pictured below).
Ladies, we’ve all been there. Being a woman of style is not something that comes without its discomforts. Whether it’s kicking off your heels or the sheer relief that comes with unhooking your bra at the end of a long day, fashion isn’t designed to be comfortable. And for some, there’s a physical price to pay.
“How much longer do we have to stand here?” (Image: Getty Images)
And is it any wonder that the duchess hasn’t had time to rub in cream on her cracked heels (pictured below) thanks to the hectic pace of the royal schedule?
READ MORE: Oops! Meghan’s wardrobe malfunction on the last day of the Royal Tour
HRH’s heels needs some paw paw cream STAT. (Image: Getty Images)
Nevertheless, despite Duchess Meghan’s stirling efforts for The Firm on what is her first major overseas tour since marrying Prince Harry back in May, photographers honed in on the fact that her hooves appear to have taken a battering with a pronounced bunion on her right foot and a scar by her big toe on her left foot which points towards surgery to remove another bunion. Ouch!
The Duchess never puts a foot out of line – except when she takes her shoes off. (Image: Getty Images)
Social media had something to say about it too.
WATCH: Duchess Meghan’s beautiful reaction when she spots an old friend in the crowd in New Zealand.
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One royal watcher on tumblr, who goes by the name of Jersey Deanne, had obviously been urging the Duchess to have foot surgery to remove the ugly bunion (however one does that on social media) with a poster commenting that, “It does look like she took your advice, JD and fixed her feet.”
Another posted: “The photo you posted of her feet clearly shows surgery sutures on the left. It appears she has had bunion surgery.”
Even if the Duchess did take her medical advice from social media channels (which is completely likely), it seems she still could do no right with accusations that she had undergone non-emergency surgery while pregnant – a big no-no.
Meghan’s foot thread on tumblr. If only the Duchess would just listen to the advice. Tsk! (Image: tumblr/@jerseydeanne)
And it’s not the first time Meghan’s feet have been put under the microscope either. The bony growths that experts say come from wearing heels and shoes that are too tight first came to public notice on the former-Suits star back in December 2017 when a photo was shared of Meghan, 37, wearing thongs and the haters came out in their droves.
They didn’t mince their words either.
“Ugly, spidery, bunion-ridden feet” tweeted one which was pre-empted by the command to “NEVER wear sandals again”.
Others weren’t much kinder.
Further pictures emerged of the Duchess way back in 2013 at the GQ Awards where her problem feet were clearly on display, as well as even further back in publicity shots when Meghan was a struggling actress and what’s known as a ‘briefcase girl’ on TV show Deal Or No Deal.
Duchess Meghan’s left foot pre-bunion surgery when she – gasp! – dared to set foot at the GQ Awards in 2013 with the offending bone on display. (Image: Getty Images)
The royal bunions were out in force even when Meghan was a struggling actress making ends meet on TV show Deal or No Deal. (Image: Getty Images)
Let’s hope the Duchess has some comfy slipper socks to put on for the long flight home to give those tootsies a rest. Oh, and Prince Harry? Time to step up, Sir for you have some serious foot massaging to do!
