Meghan put her title before veteran husband Harry at New York Veterans Day gala

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has sparked another controversy after her royal title appeared before that of her husband, Prince Harry, at a veterans gala despite the latter's service to the military.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently made a rare public appearance at the 2021 Salute to Freedom Gala at the Intrepid Museum in New York. Harry, who is not allowed to wear his ceremonial uniforms after quitting as a senior member of the royal family, wore his military medals and the cross of the Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, while his wife wore a red Carolina Herrera gown with a plunging neckline. Both of them sported red poppies as well, as a symbol to remember those who died in military service.

In his speech at the event, Harry said about his time in the military, "Nothing was more valuable than the time I got to spend with my soldiers in a shell scrape, eating an MRE (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) in the back of a tank, thanks for the swaps, flying a mission overhead knowing those below were safer, or making each other laugh when it was needed most."

The British royal added that his experience in the military has made him who he is today, and he will always be "grateful" for the people he got to serve with.

The Duke of Sussex, who worked for the British military for a decade during which he served twice in war-torn Afghanistan as well, was invited to present Intrepid Valor medals to the veterans during the gala. However, the television prompter flashed Meghan's Duchess of Sussex title before Harry's as they were welcomed to the stage.

Viewers have been taking to social media to criticise the placement of the titles, arguing that it was odd since it was a Veterans Day event and Harry should have been given priority because he was invited there to award fellow veterans because of his military background, reports Mail Online.

Body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass said that Meghan was even "guiding" Prince Harry on the red carpet, adding, "Meghan is in her element. She is in total control as she in essence is the leader of the two leading Harry."

"She is the one to reach out and touch him. Her back is turned as she is walking with Harry when someone behind her asks if she is proud of her husband. She immediately turns and looks behind her and doesn't just reply with a 'yes' answer, she replies with added information that she is always proud of her husband. Her tone seemed rather defensive as she said this," Glass explained.