Meghan Markle showed “leadership of a very different kind” with her latest controversial dancing video, while her husband, Prince Harry, appeared to be stuck “in limbo”, according to a royal author. The Duchess of Sussex raised eyebrows this week after she shared a highly unusual private video of her and the Duke of Sussex dancing in a bid to induce labour just before Princess Lilibet’s arrival.

The video was mostly savaged online by people who described it “unroyal” and “cringe”. But royal historian Dr Tessa Dunlop held a different view about it and praised the Duchess for her bold choice.

She told the Mirror: “Meghan is all woman and to hell with what the rest of the world thinks. This was leadership of a very different kind.”

She continued: “It is a pity that while the Duchess was working on her rhythm at university in Illinois, Harry was languishing at Eton College, where lessons were of a very different kind.

“His wooden moves were a reminder of the stiff royal world he has left behind. The poor Prince was caught in limbo, somewhere between his full-on Californian earthmother and a former life riddled with institutions.”

Dr Dunlop said that Meghan’s highly unusual private video proved that “nothing is out of bounds,” praising her for “constantly surprising and outmanoeuvring the naysayers”.

She said: “Let’s not pretend otherwise, that Baby Momma dance was Instagram magic. The twerking, the baby brain, the Harry cameo, you could not make it up.

“Full marks to Meghan for constantly surprising and outmanoeuvring the naysayers. The vibe, the love, the crazy overdue drama, and the sheer audacity. The haters were horrified.”

Meghan was seen twerking to Starrkeisha’s The Baby Momma Dance, captioning the video: “Four years ago today, this also happened. Both of our children were a week past their due dates… so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn’t work – there was only one thing left to do!”

At the time of Princess Lilibet’s birth on June 4, 2021, the song became a viral challenge on TikTok, with thousands of expectant mothers showcasing their moves.