Meghan Markle sparked an awkward moment on stage as she asked a woman not to pose next to Prince Harry for a picture after he won a polo tournament.
The Duchess, 42, ordered people around the stage after handing Harry, 39, a trophy at a glitzy charity polo match in Miami, Florida.
She requested the well-dressed woman in a white dress to move to the middle of the group away from Harry, insisting she be in the middle of the huddle 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 awkward exchange lasted for several moments as Harry kept his arm squarely around his wife, leading others to shuffle around them to find a place.
After Meghan insisted on keeping her place, the woman was forced to duck under the trophy to find her spot on stage, before saying something to Meghan.
Harry appeared red-faced during the exchange – although this may have been more due to his efforts on the blistering hot day as he led his team to victory at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge.
Meghan was joined at the $1,600-a-ticket event by her close friend Serena Williams, and dressed to impress as she donned an $800 dress from California designer Heidi Merrick.
The royal, who has worn the designer before, paired the flowing white sundress with a statement bow and cut out back with a $3,300 Maison Valentino bag.
Surrounded by her camera crew, Meghan appeared at ease as she took a risk in towering heels on the grassy terrain.
While Harry competed in his regular polo attire, he had arrived at the event hand-in-hand with the Duchess in a crisp summer look.
He opted for a pair of cream trousers, a pale grey jacket, and a pale blue shirt, while donning some slip-on tan shoes.
Harry squared off with his longtime pal Nacho Figueras at the tournament, and appeared to take the event in stride as he chatted with guests and posed for the Netflix camera crew.
The couple later posed with Nacho – described as the ‘David Beckham of polo’ – and his Argentine socialite wife Delfina Blaquier.
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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 topics
‘He looked the quintessential networker – shaking hands, smiling for photos. He looked in his element,’ one onlooker said.
While Harry took to the field, Meghan was kept company by her tennis legend pal 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 off the back of the launch of 42-year-old Meghan’s new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.
Meghan seems set to focus on lifestyle-centered topics such as gardening and cooking, while Harry will delve into the elitist world of professional polo.
They announced the news on their Archewell website this week, and promised to ‘provide viewers with unprecedented access to the world of professional polo.’
They add: ‘Known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene, the series will pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level.’
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Harry was filmed playing at the Miami event as part of his upcoming polo show on Netflix, which promises to capture ‘all it takes to compete at the highest level’ of the sport
Harry and Meghan’s glamorous public arrival comes amid expert claims that the Duke is working closely with Archewell PRs to stage manage his appearances in an attempt to avoid any ‘gotcha’ moments.
Many of Harry’s recent appearances have been very carefully publicized, with little information, video, or imagery shared ahead of or during the events.
Instead, approved photos or video clips have been released hours, even days, after they take place.
That same policy seems to have been very much in place at this latest event, with a staff member telling DailyMail.com that access was only granted to a pre-approved list of people.
