Meghan's Paris post branded 'bewilderingly tasteless' but there's been a furious response from a source close to the Duchess

The Duchess of Sussex surprised everyone when she made an appearance in Europe for her debut at Paris Fashion Week.

Meghan was there to support one of her favourite designers, Pierpaolo Piccioli, who recently assumed the role of creative director for Balenciaga, and attend the show. 

But she's also faced heavy criticism for some of her social media posts from her time in the city of love, one of which had people furious as she drove close to the site where Princess Diana was killed in a car crash. 

A source close to the 44-year-old has hit back, branding it "insensitive" to link her late mother-in-law to the video Meghan posted. 

Meghan posted the video on Saturday after attending the Balenciaga show, featuring her feet up on the car seat as she showed off nearby sights. 

Many on social media noted the sights included the Pont Alexandre III and the Pont des Invalides bridges, which are on the River Seine. 

In the video, it looked like she was heading towards the Pont d'Alma bridge, which is next to the Pont d'Alma tunnel where Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed and their driver Henri Paul died in car crash in August 1997.

Royal fans and social media users branded the clip "bewilderingly tasteless" and questioned how she could be so thoughtless to post that.

One commenter even called it "insensitive beyond belief". 

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But a source close to the Duchess of Sussex has branded those comments a complete stretch. 

"They have chosen, at a complete stretch I might add, to draw the most tenuous, tenuous link between an Instagram post and the death of Harry's mother. That for me is the insensitive bit," they told Newsweek. 

The source also claimed that Meghan did not know the underpass was nearby. 

The surprise trip to Paris also caused a stir, marking Meghan's first trip to mainland Europe in three years. 

Prince Harry, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, were nowhere to be seen and appeared to stay at their home in California during her trip. 

A spokesperson for the duchess said: "Over the years, the Duchess has worn a number of designs by Pierpaolo. They have worked closely together collaborating on design for key moments on the world stage.

"She has long admired his craftsmanship and modern elegance, and tonight was no different.

"This evening reflects the culmination of many years of artistry and friendship, reflected in her support for his new creative chapter at Balenciaga."

Meghan documented the whirlwind visit on social media, sharing several posts on her Instagram story and a video of her time in a post on her grid.

"About last night. Thank you @pppiccioli and @balenciaga," she captioned the post. 

"I've missed you [French flag emoji] - thanks for the love ❤️." 

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