
We witnessed THAT viral moment with Meghan Markle at the polo – here’s what happened
It’s the video that has been circulated around the web — and HELLO! filmed it.
Nearly one year ago, HELLO! joined the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Wellington, Florida. It was there, after the match, that an interaction between Meghan Markle and the Chair of Sentebale, Dr. Sophie Chandauka MBE, was inadvertently caught on camera and shared on HELLO!’s social media as part of a longer video, covering the event.
The clip that has gained attention shows Dr. Chandauka initially standing next to Prince Harry, but is then asked by the Duchess if she’d like to go to the space next to her. Dr. Chandauka does so, going under the trophy to get to the spot beside Meghan.
While the moment has resurfaced and gone viral, last April at Wellington, amid the excitement on the ground, the awkward interaction didn’t seem to be a thing and wasn’t a topic of conversation there at the event between reporters — of course, if anything was happening behind the scenes, we wouldn’t have known and would never want to diminish what someone else might have been feeling.
What really happened
Less than an hour before capturing the now-viral interaction, HELLO! chatted with Dr. Chandauka about the Sussexes and Sentebale, which she was appointed chair of in 2023. “One of the most important, unique selling propositions of our organisation is we have two Princes who founded the organization, and this creates a platform and profile for the organisation that’s potentially unrivaled and is an opportunity for us to really capitalize in order to fund programs that deliver impact,” Dr. Chandauka told HELLO! at the 2024 Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Challenge.
Asked if there were plans for Harry to travel with the charity to Africa anytime soon, Dr. Chandauka replied, “We are focused on a return to Africa. I cannot tell you the precise details, but we’re sure that we’ll get it done within the next year.”
While she noted that they had not had a specific discussion about Harry bringing his and Meghan’s kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to Africa, Dr. Chandauka said, “I can tell you that there are many people in Botswana, in Lesotho, in South Africa, who have loved the Duke, who have loved the Duchess and who are excited about the idea of welcoming the kids to Africa.”
She also remarked that they “really want to celebrate the family,” adding, “We haven’t even had a chance to celebrate the wedding in Africa. We haven’t an opportunity to meet the kids, and so a lot of us are really looking forward to the opportunity to do so when the time comes.”
Cameras were rolling at the polo match that sunny day in Florida for Netflix’s Polo series, which Meghan and Harry were executive producers of. Discussing having Netflix there at the match, Dr. Chandauka told HELLO! at the time, “It’s [a] great platform and profile the Netflix brand is globally recognized, and any opportunity to tell the story of Sentebale in the context of a global brand such as Netflix is obviously exciting for us.”
Prince Harry’s Sentebale drama
Fast forward to today, and Sentebale has been making headlines recently, but it is not because of the series. Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho announced in March 2025 that they had resigned from their roles as patrons of the organisation, which they founded in 2006, until further notice. “It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation,” they said in a joint statement. “These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down, while keeping the wellbeing of staff in mind. In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship. We thank all the trustees for their service over the years and are truly heartbroken they’ve had to follow through with this act.”
In her own statement, Dr. Chandauka said: “Everything I do at Sentebale is in pursuit of the integrity of the organisation, its mission, and the young people we serve. My actions are guided by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all, regardless of social status or financial means. There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, and then play the victim card and use the very press they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct.”
She continued: “Discerning readers will ask themselves: why would the chair of the board report her own trustees to the Charity Commission? Why would the High Court of England and Wales accept her application to hear the matter at all if the case had no merit? Well, because beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir [misogyny directed towards black women] and the cover-up that ensued. I could be anyone.”
Carmel Gaillard, executive director of Sentebale, pointed out in a message shared on the charity’s website that “good governance is essential to the strength and credibility of any organisation. We are committed to upholding the highest standards and look forward to working with our incoming Trustees and our Chair to ensure this remains a core part of our operations.”
“That said, it’s important to remember that the heart of our organisation is, and always has been, the dedicated teams on the ground in Lesotho and Botswana. They are the ones working daily with young people — delivering vital programmes that support health, build economic resilience, and address the urgent challenges of climate change,” Carmel said. “Thanks to their commitment and the trust of our local partners, supporters, and donors, the work continues. We are, as ever, focused on providing children and young people across Southern Africa with the tools they need for a brighter future.”