Meghan Markle's very awkward mistake with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Meghan Markle has previously stated that she knew very little about the royal family prior to starting her relationship with Prince Harry. 

Talking to Oprah about her in-laws in that bombshell interview in 2021, Meghan said: "Well, I didn't do any research about what that would mean… I'd never looked up my husband online.

"I just didn't feel a need to because everything that I needed to know, he was sharing with me, right? Everything that he thought I needed to know, he was telling me."

And, according to Harry, that extended to other members of his family too.

Writing in his tell-all memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex recalled an awkward moment involving his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The moment came during Meghan's first meeting with the late Queen, which took place in October 2016 at Andrew's former home, Royal Lodge, which he was still sharing with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

Harry said that after speaking with Meghan, the monarch got up to leave, accompanied by her second son. 

He wrote: "My uncle Andrew, seated beside her, holding her handbag, began to escort her out.

"After a moment, Meg asked me something about the Queen's assistant. I asked who she was talking about. 

"'That man holding the purse. That man who walked her to the door. That wasn't her assistant? Who was it?'" he recalled Meghan asking.

Harry informed his then-girlfriend that the man holding the Queen's purse was his uncle, Prince Andrew, telling Meghan: "'That was her second son. Andrew.'"

He added: "She definitely hadn't googled us."

Prince Harry told off in 'embarrassing' moment

Meghan is by no means the only one to make an awkward faux pas - so, too, has Harry. 

Just recently, Meghan teamed up with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai for a charitable initiative to mark International Day of the Girl.

Meghan, 45, and Malala, 29, have known each other for years; they first joined forces in October 2020 for a video chat, again to celebrate the International Day of the Girl. 

But it is Meghan's husband who first met the Pakistani female education activist - and it ended up being incredibly awkward.

Back in 2014 at the We Day assembly at Wembley Arena, Harry gave a speech while attending the annual youth empowerment event, as well as meeting guests including schoolgirl Malala – who heroically stood up to the Taliban and defended her rights to education. 

Co-founder of the event, Craig Kielburger, spoke to  HELLO! about their encounter - and why Harry ended up being told off.  

Craig recalled: "Here is a funny but true story. I had the honour to introduce Prince Harry to Malala, the young girl who of course stood up against the Taliban. 

"We were both backstage at We Day London. Malala, Your Highness so they met. Prince Harry put his arm around Malala for a photo and very loudly in the corner Malala’s mother in Urdu shouts 'No, no no,' which translated to 'Not unless you marry her can you touch her.' 

"The Prince was so red in his face at that moment and he was clasping his hands in the front, Malala was so embarrassed."

The pair then posed for a photo, which Craig likened to two teenagers going to the prom. "They posed like two teenagers would, no hands touching in a line-up getting ready to go to a prom. Every young woman’s dream, and I don’t think the Prince had ever been told that he can’t put his arm around someone," he said, adding that the scene was "incredibly sweet and endearing."

Harry and Meghan prepare for first official outing together

The Sussexes are expected to visit Nottingham on Thursday. It's a meaningful choice for the couple; they made their first joint appearance after announcing their engagement in Nottingham back in 2017. 

They are due to visit a number of community projects, including Community Recording Studio (CRS).

It will be Harry and Meghan's first royal-style engagement together since they returned to the UK after stepping back from royal duties in 2020. 

However, a letter sent on the King's instruction last month insisted that the couple should be viewed as "private citizens".

The missive spelt out the non-working royal status of the couple, and reiterate that they will still not be able to use titles of "His and Her Royal Highness".

A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said at the time that the couple "were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance".

Nottinghamshire police will decide on the level of security provided during the visit as the couple continue to await the result of a review of their publicly funded protection by the royal and VIP executive committee.