‘Rude’ Meghan Markle never liked African charity chair at centre of Prince Harry drama

Meghan Markle has now been dragged into the bitter row that has embroiled Prince Harry and the boss of his Sentebale charity.

A “rude” Meghan Markle reportedly never liked Dr Sophie Chandauka as the Sentebale charity chair’s feud with Prince Harry rages on.

The issues that have unravelled after the Duke of Sussex abruptly resigned from the charity he co-founded all reportedly began with the Duchess of Sussex.

“The problem, though, started with Meghan — Meghan doesn’t like Sophie,” a source told the US Sun.

The insider claimed Markle, 43, refused to mingle at the charity’s Royal Salute Polo Challenge, which was held in Florida in April 2024, and instead drank champagne with pal Serena Williams.

Last week, Dr Chandauka claimed in an interview with Sky News that the “Suits” alum and the tennis champion showed up unannounced to the polo event — after previously informing event organisers that she would not attend.

Meghan had an awkward interaction with Dr Sophie Chandauka at the polo match.

“She [Dr. Chandauka] wanted to take her around, to introduce her to other people, but Meghan didn’t want to mingle or engage with those supporting the event,” a source claimed to the Sun.

“She went off to the tent. Sophie found it rude. Staff working that day were asked to get champagne for Meghan, they were scrambling around — Sentebale and Archewell staff were both having to do that. Sentebale were not happy about this at all.”

Page Six has reached out to Markle’s rep for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Additionally, Meghan had an awkward interaction with the Zimbabwean corporate finance lawyer at the polo match.

Prince Harry with Dr Sophie Chandauka. Picture: Jason Koerner

Video footage showed the mom of two repeatedly asking Dr. Chandauka to stand next to her instead of Harry, 40, for a photo-op.

“You want to come over here?” Markle asked the charity chair while motioning for her to stand next to her instead of next to the Invictus Games founder.

Dr Chandauka is then seen ducking under the trophy to switch her position, prompting Markle to tell her, “Lovely.”

Due to the media frenzy surrounding Markle’s act, Harry asked Dr. Chandauka to issue a public statement in support of his wife.

“I said I wouldn’t. Not because I didn’t care about the duchess, but because I knew what would happen if I did so, number one,” the former global COO of Morgan Stanley told Sky News last week.

“And number two, because we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes.”

A source close to the former trustees of the Sentebale charity told Sky News that Dr Chandauka’s account of the polo match was “highly misleading.”

Dr Sophie Chandauka and Prince Harry at a Sentebale reception and panel discussion at The Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. Picture: Getty Images for Sentebale

Last month, Harry announced that he was quitting the Sentebale charity that he and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho founded in 2006 in honor of their late mothers.

Dr Chandauka claimed “misogynoir” was to blame for why the “Spare” author and board of trustees resigned.

She also accused Harry of launching a “damaging” attack that led to her allegedly being harassed and bullied.

It comes as The Sun’s royal editor Matt Wilkinson appeared on Hello! magazine’s Right Royal podcast and claimed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aren’t on the same page about putting their kids Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, in the spotlight.

“My understanding of this is that, up to a certain stage, Harry would much rather his children were not seen,” Wilkinson said.

“He doesn’t want them to be papped,” the royal expert continued of Harry, 40. “He’s got this idea that if he takes them outside of Montecito, there’s a horde of us out there trying to take pictures of his kids. They’re not, by the way!”

Wilkinson said that on the other hand, Markle, 43, “grew up in California, she once said she would like to have a more California style lifestyle, take them down the beach, go out, do stuff. She doesn’t want to hide them away.”

“We’ve seen this more and more with the use of Lilibet and Archie. We don’t see their faces,” Wilkinson noted.

Originally published as ‘Rude’ Meghan Markle never liked African charity chair at centre of Prince Harry drama