Meghan Markle is once again in the public spotlight after an awkward episode with Sentebale charity president Sophie Chandauka went viral again.
This moment occurred in April 2024, when the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry attended a polo event in Wellington, Florida.
Meghan Markle and Sophie Chandauka at polo match
During Harry’s team’s victory celebration, attendees were posing for a group photo when Markle asked Chandauka to switch places.
“Do you want to come over here?” Meghan is heard saying in a video of the moment.
@sam01513 Meghan Markle asks woman not to pose next to Prince Harry for Polo prizegiving photo – and lets royal fan stand next to her instead #meghanmarkle#royalfamily#princeharry #harry#polo#prizegiving#royal#woman#TheDuchess#Florida#fyp#viral ♬ original sound – SAM LIVERPOOL
The request caused Chandauka to have to awkwardly duck uncomfortably under the trophy the group was holding to change positions in the image.
Recently, in an interview with Sky News, Chandauka referred to that episode and explained that the situation on stage did not go as planned.
“The choreography went badly onstage, because we had too many people onstage,” he mentioned, adding that Meghan’s presence was not planned and generated uncertainty about her role in the ceremony.
The matter became even more contentious when Chandauka claimed that Harry asked him to issue a statement in defense of his wife.
“Prince Harry asked me to issue some sort of a statement in support of the duchess, and I said I wouldn’t,” he claimed.
He explained that it was not a lack of support for Markle, but that he feared that a statement on his part could have negative consequences for both her and the organization.
The controversy comes on top of Chandauka’s recent accusations against Harry, whom she singled out for alleged “harassment and bullying.” According to her statements, the Duke of Sussex tried to remove her from her position at Sentebale, which generated an untenable atmosphere within the organization.
She also revealed that the polo event had to change venue because Harry wanted to include Netflix cameras for his documentary on the sport.
A spokesperson close to the former Sentebale administrators dismissed Chandauka’s allegations, calling them “completely baseless.”
According to this source, the decision to resign was made in the best interest of the organization and they were confident that the truth would come out.
Chandauka, who has held the position of president of Sentebale since 2023, claimed that the relationship between board members and Harry deteriorated into irreconcilability, leading to the current crisis within the foundation that the prince co-founded in 2006 to help young people affected by HIV in southern Africa.