Whether it was the pressure of filming their upcoming Netflix series or other factors at play, Harry and Meghan appeared visibly tense and uneasy at the recent annual Sentebale Polo Cup. The event, dedicated to raising funds for Harry's HIV charity, marked the first time the couple's camera crew was present, capturing footage for one of their two final Netflix projects. Observers noted that this presence led to all sorts of chaos.
Insiders present at the event confirmed the difficulty in eliciting a smile from Harry, even for photographs. It was evident that the couple lacked their usual connection throughout the day. According to Women's Day, "Harry was probably upset that Meghan was having a great time talking to everyone, even having fun with the other players. He didn't look happy, and whenever they were together, things were pretty frosty," said an insider. "He even avoided eye contact with her."
"Of course, she's a master at smoothing things over, but it was clear that he had something to say to her during the car ride home," friends say. "There's a lot riding on this Polo documentary, which could also explain some of the tension between Harry and his wife. They both know that they've got to make it work," another source told Netflix. "Netflix has literally thrown them a lifeline when they really didn't have to, so the pressure's on."
Meanwhile, Meghan's behavior during the Royal Salute Polo Challenge event raised eyebrows and prompted commentary from royal experts. During an episode of Palace Confidential on YouTube, the Mail on Sunday's editor at large, Charlotte Griffiths, remarked on the incident, which was caught on camera.
Griffiths said, "Megan's mask slipped for sure, and we saw her true colors, I'd say," drawing attention to Meghan's actions towards Dr. Sophie Chan, the chair of Sentebale, trying to stand next to Prince Harry during the event. Harry was in the spotlight as he participated in the polo match; however, an uncomfortable moment ensued when Meghan, seemingly taking charge of the situation, intervened in a photo opportunity with Prince Harry and the woman attempting to stand next to him with the winning trophy.
Griffiths described the scene, emphasizing Meghan's assertive behavior, noting, "Megan verbally yanks the woman away from Prince Harry and positions her next to herself. She's really bossy; she really points and says, 'Get out of the way,' as if she's her lackey," Griffiths said, highlighting what she perceived as Meghan's commanding attitude.
Richard Eden, Daily Mail's diary editor, further contextualized the incident by revealing the identity of the woman involved. "I have to say that this woman who wanted to stand next to Harry wasn't just some beautiful model there for a pretty picture. This was actually Dr. Sophie Chan, who's the boss of Prince Harry's charity," Eden pointed out. "So, that dismissive tone of hers is very cringeworthy. Dr. Chan is a very distinguished character, so it's going to be interesting to see how long she remains in that job," one industry insider claimed.
"Prince Harry's making a TV series about polo, but Netflix is just happy to squeeze something out of Prince Harry," Schofield, host of the Today for Daily podcast, said. "Polo, the subject, is something he's comfortable talking about, which may result in him opening up about other topics," she said. "Polo is a legitimate interest of Prince Harry, so it's a unique way to get him to open up in front of the cameras that he typically loathes. Netflix knows that any scenes of Prince Harry with his guard down are of interest to the public and will easily translate into stellar PR for the streaming platform."
"What's in it for Harry? It's not just a nice payday but a chance to change public perception of him after years of declining popularity," Miss Schofield continued. "Netflix is looking for luxury, glamour, and aspirational content, and polo is all of that."
