Meghan Markle and Serena Williams' Unannounced Appearance in 2024 Polo Fundraiser Disrupted Event, Ruined Choreography: Chairwoman
A polo fundraiser hosted by Prince Harry and the Sentebale charity allegedly "went badly" after Meghan Markle unexpectedly attended the event with tennis star Serena Williams.
That is according to Dr. Sophie Chandauka, the chairwoman of the charity, who said the pair's suprise appearance caused disruption. In a recent interview, Chandauka said Markle previously indicated she would not attend the Royal Salute Polo Challenge held in Miami in April 2024. However, the duchess later arrived at the venue with Williams in tow.
"The duchess decided to attend, but she told us she wasn't attending, and she brought a friend, a very famous friend," Chandauka said in an interview on Sky News' "Sunday Morning with Trevor Philipps."
"We would have been really excited had we known ahead of time, but we didn't. And so, the choreography went badly on stage because we had too many people on stage," she added.
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Following the fundraiser, a video went viral after it showed Markle repeatedly asking Chadauka to move to her left side away from Harry for a photo on stage. She proceeded to duck under a trophy and settled next to Markle.
Dr. Chandauka also claimed that international media picked up on the awkwardness caused by Markle's involvement and her alleged treatment of event organizers. Following this, Prince Harry reportedly asked Chandauka to issue a public statement supporting Meghan, a request she declined as she did not want the charity to be seen as an "extension of the Sussexes."
It is worth noting that a source close to the former trustees of Sentebale called Chandauka's account of the event "highly misleading." Neither Harry's nor Markle's representatives have commented on her account of the event.
The interview comes after Chandauka accused Prince Harry of orchestrating a campaign of "harassment and bullying" to force her out of the charity he co-founded in 2006. The allegations surfaced after Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, resigned as patrons last week, citing an irreparable breakdown in their relationship with Chandauka.