We’ve all been there.

You go in for a hug, the other person goes in for a handshake (or worse, a kiss on the cheek), and it all comes together in an interpretive dance of awkwardness.

I’m feeling the shame just thinking about it.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had the added joy of having her weird “hug-denied” moment with the co-founder of One Young World, Kate Robertson, at an event for the charity.

Meghan is trying to modernise the monarchy with hugs instead of the usual “don’t touch me unless I say so” style of royal interaction, but Kate clearly didn’t get the memo.

Over to Vanity Fair:

Meghan had her arms open and went in for a hug, while the British Robertson thought of her manners and dipped down for a slight curtsy. What resulted was a strange hybrid hug with Meghan’s arms around Anderson’s shoulders and Anderson’s arms around Meghan’s’ waist, while she still somehow held that original curtsy. It was the physical equivalent of calling your teacher “Mom”: not really a big deal, but still very awkward for all involved.

Fast forward to 1:38 to take it all in:

So cringe.

You really want to establish protocol beforehand, like that choreographed nerd handshake that went down after the Mars landing.

Best to look at this as a learning experience. If you’re meeting up with Meghan, hold back on the curtsy – she’s a hugger.

[source:vanityfair]