The moment Meghan Markle asks woman not to pose next to Prince Harry for Polo awards photo – and lets royal fan stand next to her instead
Meghan Markle sparked an awkward moment on stage when she asked a woman not to pose next to Prince Harry for a photo after he won a polo tournament.
The Duchess, 42, ordered people around the stage after presenting Harry, 39, with a trophy at a glitzy charity polo match in Miami, Florida.
She asked the well-dressed woman in a white dress to move to the center of the group away from Harry, insisting that she was in the middle of the squeeze next to her husband with the royal fan beside her.
Moments before, Meghan planted a loving kiss on her royal husband to celebrate his win – with a Netflix camera crew in tow to capture the moment for the Duke’s upcoming series.
The exchange came when a woman tried to pose next to Harry, only for Meghan to push her to the center of the group as she insisted on standing next to her husband
The group eventually found room to celebrate on stage
Moments before the awkward exchange, the pair enjoyed a passionate embrace to celebrate Harry’s victory at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge
The awkward exchange went on for several moments as Harry kept his arm right around his wife, causing others to shuffle around them for a spot.
After Meghan insisted on keeping her seat, the woman was forced to duck under the trophy to find her place on stage before speaking to Meghan.
Harry appeared red-faced during the exchange – although this may have been more down to his efforts on the blisteringly hot day as he led his team to victory at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge.
Meghan was joined by close friend Serena Williams at the $1,600-a-ticket event and dressed to impress as she donned an $800 gown by Californian designer Heidi Merrick.
The royal, who has worn the designer before, paired the flowy white sundress with a statement bow and clipped back with a $3,300 Maison Valentino bag.
Surrounded by her camera crew, Meghan appeared at ease as she took a risk by towering her heels on the grassy terrain.
While Harry competed in his regular polo attire, he arrived at the event hand-in-hand with the Duchess in a crisp summer look.
He opted for a pair of cream trousers, a light gray jacket and a light blue shirt, while donning some tan slip-on shoes.
Harry hung out with longtime friend Nacho Figueras at the tournament and appeared to be taking the event in stride as he chatted with guests and posed for the Netflix camera crew.
The pair later posed with Nacho – described as the ‘David Beckham of polo’ – and his Argentine socialite wife Delfina Blaquier.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, beamed with joy as she presented her husband with his trophy
Meghan embraced the glorious sunshine in an elegant white dress which featured a pleated skirt design, halter neck top and a cut out waist
Meghan was joined at the event by her close friend, tennis legend Serena Williams
Harry and Meghan were joined at the event by Nacho – who is known as the ‘David Beckham of polo’ – and his wife, Argentinian socialite Delfina Blaquier
While Harry’s Netflix project will delve into the glamorous world of polo, Meghan is working on her own production for the streaming site that will focus on lifestyle-centric subjects
‘He looked like the typical network guy – shaking hands and smiling for pictures. He looked in his element, an onlooker said.
As Harry took to the court, Meghan was kept company by her tennis legend friend Serena, who sipped on a glass of champagne as they mingled around the glitzy event.
At one point, Serena and Harry enjoyed a warm hug as the prince checked in on the action away from the match, embracing like old friends – having grown close in the years since the Duke and Duchess began dating.
The royal couple’s appearance at the event came as they continue to film two new series for Netflix as part of their ongoing $100 million deal with the streaming giant.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have two non-fiction projects in the works, which come on the back of the launch of 42-year-old Meghan’s new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.
Meghan looks set to focus on lifestyle-centric subjects like gardening and cooking, while Harry will delve into the elitist world of professional polo.
They announced the news on their Archewell website this week, promising to ‘give viewers unprecedented access to the world of professional polo.’
They add: ‘Primarily known for its aesthetic and social scene, the series will pull back the curtain on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and everything it takes to compete at the highest level.’
Meghan took center stage as the team gathered to celebrate their victory
Harry was filmed playing at the Miami event as part of his upcoming polo show on Netflix, which promises to capture “everything it takes to compete at the highest level” of the sport
Before changing into his polo outfit, Harry chose a pair of cream colored trousers, a light gray jacket and a crisp blue shirt, while slipping on some tan shoes
Harry and Meghan’s glamorous public arrival comes amid expert claims the Duke is working closely with Archewell PRs to stage his appearances in a bid to avoid “gotcha” moments.
Many of Harry’s recent appearances have been very carefully publicized, with little information, video or photos shared before or during the events.
Instead, approved images or video clips have been released hours, even days, after they took place.
The same policy appears to have been very much in place at this latest event, where a staff member told DailyMail.com that access was only given to a pre-approved list of people.