Prince Harry creates awkward moment at Meghan Markle's book launch after trying to kiss a hijabi

Prince Harry is caught in an embarrassing situation as he awkwardly greets a Muslim woman during the launch of Meghan Markle's cookbook.

Things got a little bit awkward between Prince Harry and a Muslim woman he met during the launch of his wife Meghan Markle’s charity cookbook. In a clip documenting their meeting, there appeared to be confusion as to how he was supposed to greet her.

Prince Harry, along with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland were present during the launching of Meghan’s latest project, “Together: Our Community Cookbook” which she produced in partnership with the women of Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Center. The proceeds of the book are to be used to support the center’s Hubb Community Kitchen.

While exchanging pleasantries with Hubb Community Kitchen’s coordinator, Zahira Ghaswala, Prince Harry was caught off guard by the protocol surrounding hijabi women. Following the lead of Doria who gave Ghaswala a double cheek-to-cheek, Prince Harry attempted to do the same. However, Ghaswala froze and appeared to move back, wary of the tradition that bars women from having physical contact with unrelated men. Meanwhile, Harry tried to maneuver his way in but due to the uncertainty, ended up giving her three air kisses as his wife attempted to pull him back. The cute moment elicited a few laughs, making the awkward moment bearable.

With the video of Harry’s awkward interaction going viral, Twitter users had things to say. Some joked about the cringe-worthy moment and others came to the Duke of Sussex’s defense. Here are some of those tweets.

Meanwhile, Meghan’s cookbook is off to a noteworthy start. She reportedly sold nearly 11,000 copies in the United Kingdom in its first week. It also earned a number six spot on Amazon in the United States.

Long before Meghan became a royal, she had already dreamed of coming up with her own cookbook. In fact, she intended to publish a collection of recipes in her former lifestyle blog, “The Tig.” She revealed this during a 2015 interview with Bay Street Bull.

“Who knows, I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw a Tig cookbook or travel collaboration down the road. The opportunities are endless,” she said.

Meghan’s cookbook launch also paved the way for her first public speech as a royal where she spoke about embracing diversity since moving to London.

"I had just recently moved to London, and I felt so immediately embraced by the women in the kitchen, their warmth, and their kindness, and also to be able to see, in this one small room, how multicultural it was. On a personal level, I feel so proud to live in a city that can have so much diversity. It's 12 countries represented in this one group of women. It's pretty outstanding."

Prince Harry was visibly proud of his wife that day, watching her flawlessly delivering her three-minute speech without any notes. Though the event started on an awkward note, it did end in a pleasant one.