Meghan Markle's Pal Priyanka Chopra Slammed After Show 'Citadel' Makes Jab At Kate Middleton

Priyanka Chopra and her new spy action thriller "Citadel" are facing backlash after the Amazon Prime Video series seemingly featured a crude joke about Kate Middleton.

In the third episode of "Citadel," which dropped earlier this month, Chopra's espionage agent character Nadia Sinh sends partner Mason Kane/Kyle Conroy (played by Richard Madden) to meet with crime leader Balduino Basto (Sen Monro). Nadia does not appear in person, only via earpiece to translate for Mason.

When Balduino is asked to help break into the office of the armed forces chief, he tells Mason: "The chief of armed forces? You might as well have asked me how to get between the legs of the Duchess of Cambridge," according to the New York Post.

Neither the Prime Video production nor Chopra has addressed "Citadel's" diss at Middleton, who was named the Princess of Wales after Queen Elizabeth II died last year but likely still held the title of the Duchess of Cambridge when "Citadel" Season 1 was shot.

Some Twitter users slammed the show and Chopra, who is a close friend of Middleton's sister-in-law Meghan Markle and even attended the "Suits" alum's royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

"I just lost interest in this show @priyankachopra," one person tweeted.

"Might want to be successful before making any jabs," another wrote, alongside a screenshot of a Rolling Stone piece that declared "Citadel" a "$300 million disaster for Amazon."

"Another dork who talks about female empowerment while tearing down another woman due to her own insecurities," another wrote, while a fourth person commented, "[Priyanka's] 'raising' a daughter. Shameful."

"Priyanka Chopra and Meghan Markle are two peas in a pod. I haven't heard about [Chopra] until she was in a relationship with Nick Jonas and put out massive PR stunts. Sophie Turner who married a Jonas brother is by far a bigger star than her, but she has no publicity stunts," another commenter claimed.

Others came to Chopra's defense and insisted that she doesn't deserve the criticism, claiming that she neither wrote the line nor said it and that it is unlikely her friendship with Markle played a role in the inclusion of the joke.

"Did Priyanka say the dialogue and write it? ...it's just a show. Stop getting offended," one wrote, while another commented that they "love the series" so far.

"The dialogue meant that it's impossible to get between the Duchess of Cambridge's legs. Also, Priyanka Chopra didn't say the dialogue. Neither is she the scriptwriter or was in this scene," another user tweeted, defending Chopra. "People who are offended, I think, believe that it's not impossible to get between [the Duchess of Cambridge's] legs."

"The reference was very crude indeed, but as much as I'm not a fan, she didn't write the script," a fourth user wrote.

Another pointed out: "'Citadel' plays [out] in the future, like 2050-2060 something. Who knows who is the Duchess of Cambridge then?"

Middleton and Markle have been rumored to be at odds for years. During her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess of Sussex alleged that the Princess of Wales made her cry leading up to her wedding to Prince Harry, despite reports claiming that it was Middleton who broke down in tears.

Four months after that interview, Chopra found herself in hot water due to her friendship with Markle when she was accused of snubbing Prince William and Middleton at Wimbledon.

In a clip obtained by the Daily Mail, attendees clapped when the Prince and Princess of Wales entered the Royal Box. However, Chopra, who sat right behind the royal couple, didn't join them and instead adjusted her scarf while avoiding eye contact.

Chopra and Markle have called each other "my girl" on social media. When Prince Harry and Markle announced their engagement in 2017, the former Miss World congratulated the couple on Instagram.

"Congratulations to my girl @meghanmarkle and Prince Harry!! I'm so happy for you, Meg! You deserve the best always...keep smiling that infectious smile," Chopra wrote.

During a 2018 interview with Us Weekly, Chopra revealed that she had been friends with Markle for three years by then, describing her as an "activist" who would become a "strong" role model.