This is the moment Prince Harry appears to nervously smile after Meghan Markle seems to ask him to move his hand off her bottom, as more footage emerges from their awkward New York red carpet appearance.
The Duchess seems to look uncomfortable as she quickly breaks away from her husband as they pose for photographers ahead of being crowned ‘humanitarians of the year’.
Meghan, 44, glances up at Harry, 41, who nervously smiles before the husband and wife wrap their arms around each other’s waist.
The gaffe is the latest of seemingly awkward exchanges between the married couple at the glitzy ceremony at Spring Studios.
Traffic in the Big Apple had meant the Sussexes arrived late for the Project Healthy Minds gala.
And Harry appeared to be in a rush, with royal watchers claiming he tried to hurry along his wife.
The Duke took Meghan’s hand and started moving away after posing for photographers – but the Duchess appeared to linger.
Royal watchers claimed Harry may even have gently whispered to Meghan to ‘come on now’ as she paused.
This is the moment Meghan Markle appears to ask Prince Harry to move his hand off her bottom as more footage emerges from their awkward New York red carpet appearance
The Duchess seems to look uncomfortable as she quickly breaks away from her husband as they pose for photographers ahead of being crowned ‘humanitarians of the year’
In another video taken backstage, the Duke is grabbed by a member of the team, who asks him a question.
Meghan was left standing awkwardly, alone, waiting for him to arrive with some critics claiming she briefly ‘glowered’ before smiling.
But another wrote: ‘She seems to be making a real effort to look demure, not overshadow him the whole red carpet.’
Meghan wore a £6,000 Armani suit and jewellery worth more than £238,000 for the ceremony. Meanwhile, Harry complemented his wife’s look by donning a basic black suit with a crisp white shirt and tie.
The Sussexes arrived hand-in-hand to pick up the gong, which had previously only been handed out once before; Jeff Yabuki and his wife Gail picked up the award last year for their commitment to mental health work after Jeff’s brother took his own life in 2017.
Meghan collected the award and was also praised as ‘a mother, wife, entrepreneur and philanthropist’. Harry’s work with mental health companies and his controversial 2021 memoir Spare were listed among his achievements.
CEO and founder of Project Healthy Minds, Phillip Schermer, told the audience the Sussexes’, ‘leadership and generosity…had made a profound difference in the lives of so many’.
Their appearance in New York came immediately after King Charles and Prince William put on a united front in London.
Meghan was left waiting when Harry spoke to someone by the red carpet
Prince Harry shuffles away as Meghan pauses for one more photo in New York last night
The Duchess of Sussex also gave a sideways smile during a tactile display by the couple
The Duchess used her acceptance speech to voice fears about Archie and Lilibet growing up in a digital age – hours after the Princess of Wales visited a children’s charity and warned that excessive screen time can harm family life.
The competing events, 3,500 miles apart, could stir up trouble and pour cold water on hopes of peace talks between the warring Windsors.
The Daily Mail revealed this week that a friend of the Sussexes has predicted: ‘Meghan will return to Britain before the year is out’ and could come bearing ‘humble pie’.
The couple are apparently planning their reconciliation with the Royal Family in a secret plot dubbed: ‘Project Thaw’.
There have been claims that William could even meet Harry – but he is not willing to do so with Meghan present.
Meghan and Harry were very tactile on the red carpet and speaking on stage as she accepted the award, Meghan said: ‘Our children, Archie and Lili, are just six and four years old. Luckily still too young for social media, but we know that day is coming.
‘Like so many parents, we think constantly about how to embrace technology’s benefits, while safeguarding against its dangers. That hopeful intention of separation is rapidly becoming impossible.’
On Friday, the Suits alum jumped to her Instagram stories to post a short reel as she shared a sweet moment with Harry backstage
Meghan was joined on stage by Harry, who also shared words of wisdom about the dangers of technological advancements.
He said: ‘This is a pivotal moment in our collective mission to protect children and support families in a digital age.’
The pair were met with applause as they wrapped up their remarks – but royal watchers were struck by how similar their message was to the Princess of Wales’s.
Meghan and Harry were celebrated for their work in the online sphere, beginning in 2020 when they consulted with Stanford University experts tracking social media’s impact on young people.
Project Healthy Minds celebrated Harry’s work as ‘a humanitarian, mental health advocate, environmentalist and military combat veteran’ in honoring him on Thursday night.
Their Archewell Foundation drew further attention to the crisis after the gala, citing a statistic from the Social Media Victims Law Center which states as many as 4,000 families have pursued legal action relating to damaging social media exposure.
The Duke and Duchess’s organization stated that figure ‘represented only a fraction of affected families, limited to those with the resources and capacity to take legal action through a single law firm’.
‘If these deaths and harm to children were “unintended consequences” ten years ago,’ Harry said, ‘then what are they now?’
On Friday, the Suits alum jumped to her Instagram stories to post a short reel as she shared a sweet moment with Harry backstage at the gala.
Meghan could be seen laughing at something Harry told her as he looked over papers next to a lamp – seemingly proving there was no awkwardness between them.
‘Happy World Mental Health Day,’ she wrote in text added over the video before gushing, ‘…to the man who always keeps me laughing.’
