Meghan Markle's unexpected arrival caused disruption at charity polo game, claims Sentebale chairwoman
MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA: Meghan Markle's unexpected presence at a 2024 polo game led to a sizable disruption, Dr Sophie Chandauka, the chair of Prince Harry's charity Sentebale, has revealed.
Chandauka said during a Sky News interview that the duchess of Sussex caused confusion and an awkward interaction on stage after her unexpected arrival, according to Marca.
Sentebale is a registered charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006. The charity helps children struggling with HIV/AIDS diagnosis.
Harry resigned as a patron of Sentebale on March 25, citing a breakdown in the relationships between board members and Chandauka.
Meghan Markle's unexpected presence caused disruption at Sentebale polo game
Meghan Markle had initially informed organizers that she would not be present at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Florida, but showed up unexpectedly with tennis star Serena Williams, per the outlet.
Chandauka described how the whole situation quickly became chaotic.
According to her, Markle allegedly asked her twice to move away from Prince Harry to a different spot on stage, per the outlet.
This caused awkward shuffling among others, as Chandauka had to duck under a trophy to stand where Meghan requested.
She said during the interview, "We would have been really excited had we known ahead of time, but we didn't."
The Sentebale chairwoman added, "The choreography went badly on stage because we had too many people on stage. The international press captured this, and there was a lot of talk about the Duchess and the choreography on stage and whether she should have been there and her treatment of me."
Chandauka also revealed that after the event, Prince Harry asked her to issue a statement in support of Meghan, but she refused.
She said, "Not because I didn't care about the Duchess, but because I knew what would happen if I did so, number one. And number two, because we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes."
Meanwhile, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams noted that Markle's unexpected appearance caused confusion, and the interaction on stage was "awkward", per Marca.
He also remarked that the ongoing issues within the Sentebale charity could affect Harry, who co-founded the charity in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.
Sophie Chandauka accuses Prince Harry of harassment and calls Sussex brand 'toxic'
Sophie Chandauka accused Prince Harry of harassment and bullying but a source close to the duke of Sussex has dismissed her claims as "completely baseless".
She claimed that Prince Harry "unleashed the Sussex machine" against her, per Daily Mail.
The chair of a charity set up by Prince Harry has accused him of 'harassment and bullying at scale' by 'unleashing the Sussex machine' after he quit.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 29, 2025
A source close to the former trustees of the Sentebale charity has described the claims as 'completely baseless'. pic.twitter.com/lmBLUXzFoO
Chandauka said, "The team is resolved that Sentebale will live on, with or without you."
Chandauka first felt tension with Harry a year ago and alleged that she was asked to defend Meghan Markle against negative publicity, per the outlet.
Chandauka said that Harry's controversial public image had hindered Sentebale’s progress during an interview with The Financial Times.
She said, "The number one risk for this organization was the toxicity of its lead patron’s brand."
She added that Harry’s reputation since moving to the US had negatively impacted the charity’s ability to attract donors and senior hires, per the outlet.
