Meghan Markle sparked headlines around the world with her dramatic, surprise appearance at Paris Fashion Week for the Balenciaga show. It was the first time the Duchess of Sussex had travelled to mainland Europe in two years, stepping out to support recently appointed designer Pierpaolo Piccioli as the brand's creative director by attending his Spring/Summer 2026 womenswear show. At the time of the show, a statement from Meghan’s spokesperson said the duchess was close to the designer, saying