They looked like a loving couple stealing a quick embrace. On April 13, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex was snapped with her arms around the dashing Argentine polo player — her husband Prince Harry’s bestie — Nacho Figueras at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Palm Beach. The trio were in Florida to shoot Harry’s upcoming behind-the-scenes Netflix doc about the sport.

As soon as the photos surfaced, the buzz began, with some speculating that the California native, who just launched the American Riviera Orchard lifestyle brand, was a little too intimate with the 47-year-old married man. Or at least a bit too handsy for a duchess — even if Nacho’s wife, Delfina, was spotted nearby. “It raised some eyebrows at the polo match to see how cozy she got with Nacho,” an insider exclusively tells In Touch. “People couldn’t help but notice.”

That touchy-feelyness has gotten the 42-year-old former Suits star in trouble before. “Back when Meghan and Harry were living in England it was a big talking point how handsy they were,” says the insider. “Some believed it was bad form for royals to be behaving like this in public and rather unseemly.” (Harry’s brother, Prince William, and his wife, Princess Kate, on the other hand, strictly follow royal protocol, barely even touching in public.)

The criticism has left the mom of two baffled, says the insider. “Meghan has always been physically affectionate, she’s very expressive,” notes the insider, adding that the embrace was “purely platonic” and appropriate. “Harry and Meghan are very close with Nacho and his family. He’s been a real rock of support and is someone they trust implicitly.”

 

Have a tip? Send it to us! Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com.