Staff at a Texas BBQ restaurant were bemused at a joke made by Prince Harry following Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to the restaurant, after the Duchess of Sussex spoke on a panel at the SXSW conference.
On International Women’s Day, the pair turned up to La Barbecue, after Meghan informed the Director of Operations, Cory Rivademar, that she wanted to stop by.
As reported in People Magazine, staff at the restaurant claimed the couple ordered brisket and sausages and were “absolutely lovely” while also posing for pictures with customers.
Prince Harry reportedly spotted and liked a mural of British rock star Freddie Mercury in a costume of Queen Elizabeth which was placed next to a gender neutral toilet and said: “We should take a picture in front of this.”
In response to Harry’s comment about the Freddie Mercury photo, owner, Allison Clem joked: “I think you are in enough trouble as it is.”
Rivademar claims that after the couple left, they received a text from Meghan’s representatives saying it was the best BBQ they had ever had.
Before the restaurant visit, Meghan took centre stage as she joined Brooke Shield and US veteran reporter Katie Couric for a special panel at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Texas.
The Duchess of Sussex joined the line-up for the International Women’s Day event kicking off the Austin festival as a “visionary female leader” and bestselling author.
During the panel, the Duchess opened up about her own experience with bullying as she insisted more has to be done to create online safeguarding measures.
Meghan said: “It’s really interesting because I can reflect on it, I keep my distance from [social media] right now, for my own wellbeing.
“The bulk of the bullying and abuse that I was experiencing on social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and with Lili, and [when] they were born.”
The panel was titled ‘Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen’. It shone a light on how women are represented in media and entertainment.
Meghan added: “I’m fortunate in that, amongst the privileges I have in my life, I have an incredible partner, my husband is such a hands-on dad, and such a support of me and my family.”
