An old video showing Meghan Markle’s awkward interaction with charity chair Dr. Sophie Shanda has resurfaced following accusations that Prince Harry displayed toxic behavior. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been photographed with Shanda during the Royal Salute Polo Challenge held in Wellington, Florida, last August.
The now-viral clip shows the couple and Shanda posing with a large trophy in front of a promotional backdrop. Initially, Shanda is seen smiling beside Harry while Meghan stands on his other side. However, the atmosphere changes when Meghan begins directing Shanda to reposition herself for the photo. Repeatedly asking her to “come over here,” Meghan gestures for her to stand next to her rather than next to Harry. Shanda awkwardly ducks beneath the trophy to change positions, prompting Meghan to respond with a curt “lovely.”
In a recent interview with Sky News, Shanda shared that the charity had not been informed in advance that Meghan would be attending the event. “We would have been really excited had we known ahead of time Meghan was coming, but we didn’t,” she said. According to her, the lack of notice led to chaos on stage, with too many people crowding the area. She noted that international media picked up on the disorder, fueling conversations about Meghan’s presence and her treatment of others at the event. Meghan had also arrived with her close friend Serena Williams and a Netflix film crew, reportedly to document footage for an upcoming series, which Shanda claimed only added to the confusion and disruption.
After footage of the encounter spread online, Shanda alleged that Harry asked her to release a public statement supporting Meghan. She declined, stating it wasn’t out of a lack of concern for the Duchess but because she foresaw the potential fallout of doing so. “We cannot be an extension of the Sussexes,” she explained. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams commented on the situation, describing Meghan’s unexpected appearance as confusing and the onstage exchange with Shanda as undeniably awkward. He noted that Shanda’s refusal to issue a statement in Meghan’s favor, coupled with the tension between them, would be a significant blow to Harry.
Prince Harry, 40, recently announced his resignation from the charity he co-founded in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in memory of their mothers, Princess Diana and Queen ‘Mamohato Bereng Seeiso. In a separate interview with The Times of London, Shanda accused Harry of responding to her concerns with what she described as a “damaging attack,” which allegedly led to her being harassed and bullied. She claimed that beneath the carefully crafted victim narrative and media campaigns lies the story of a woman who dared to speak up against poor leadership, abuse of power, harassment, and misogyny—and the subsequent cover-up that followed.
