'Hilarious!" Meghan Markle Handles Awkward Presenting Blunder Like A True Professional

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On Thursday 1st February, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their very first red carpet appearance at a glamorous awards ceremony, at the Endeavour Fund Awards for injured veterans.

And while the couple's evening started off seamlessly, things got a little awkward when Meghan took to the stage to present the Celebrating Excellence Award.

Meghan headed to the stage to present the award alongside last year's winner Neil Heritage, and things started off well enough.

The royal-to-be began the speech confidently and eloquently, saying, "Thank you so much, good evening. I am truly privileged to be here.

"The second prize of the evening is awarded to an individual who has endeavoured to achieve excellence in their chosen sport or adventurous challenge."

The microphone was then handed over to co-presenter Neil - who unfortunately struggled to find the next line of the script.

Shuffling through some papers, the pair giggled in nervous laughter, until Meghan kindly took to his side to try and help him find the next page of the speech.

(Image credit: PA Images)

An awkward, minute-long silence ensued, but it seems Meghan handled the mishap like a true professional, shuffling through the papers and smiling sweetly at the audience - who laughed along at the presenting blunder.

Neil echoed Meghan's reaction, saying "Who organised the notes?"

Eventually, Meghan managed to spot the next line, and expertly moved to the side to allow Neil to continue on with his section of the speech.

Despite the mix-up, Meghan maintained her poise, confidently delivering a list of the nominees and eventually handing the prestigious award to Daniel Claricoates, who has served in Afghanistan and suffered from PTSD.

(Image credit: PA Images)

Rebecca English, the Daily Mail's royal correspondent, posted a full video of the presenting mishap. But fans quickly flocked to social media to praise Meghan for how she handled it.

One wrote, "She handled that wonderfully," while another said, "She was born for this."

Another user saw the funny side, commenting, "This is hilarious", while a fourth said, "I loved how kind she was in trying to help him instead of just standing there and watching him struggle."

(Image credit: PA Images)

Of course, Meghan is somewhat of an expert public speaker, given her previous career as an actress. The 36-year-old also delivered a much-praised speech in 2015, at the UN Women conference, where she discussed gender equality and political engagement, in a confident and eloquent manner.

At last night's event, Meghan also kept it slick and professional, in a smart Alexander McQueen tuxedo suit and matching black Jimmy Choo heels.

Amy Hunt

Amy Hunt is an experienced digital journalist specialising in homes, interiors and hobbies. She began her career working as the features assistant at woman&home magazine, before moving over to the digital side of the brand where she eventually became the Lifestyle Editor up until January 2022. Amy won the Digital Journalist of the Year award at the AOP Awards in 2019 for her work on womanandhome.com.