During a rare joint red carpet appearance, Meghan Markle seemed to awkwardly request her husband remove his hand from her bottom, prompting Prince Harry to respond with an uncomfortable smile.
Meghan, 44, and Harry, 41, attended the Project Healthy Minds gala in New York earlier this week, where they received recognition as 'Humanitarians of the Year'.
The Sussexes, who established the Archewell Foundation together, were presented with this distinguished honour for their work in creating safer digital spaces for families and children.
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As they walked the red carpet at the event, the couple struck poses for photographers, but observers noticed an awkward exchange when Harry embraced his wife and positioned his hand on her rear.
Whilst this could have been interpreted as a tender gesture between the duo, Meghan appeared uneasy and quickly turned to Harry, seemingly requesting he relocate his hand, reports the Mirror.
Footage from the red carpet shows the duke reacting with an uncomfortable grin before shifting his hand to her lower back.
Quickly recovering from the moment, they continued posing for photographs with Meghan also placing her arm around Harry's back.
Additionally, Royal observers suggested that during their outing, Harry attempted to rush his wife along by grasping Meghan's hand and guiding her away after she remained for additional photos.
Reports claimed that Harry may have murmured "come on now" to Meghan as he tried to encourage them to move forward. In additional footage captured behind the scenes at the event, Harry was seen chatting to someone whilst Meghan waited patiently beside him for the conversation to conclude.
Offering perspective on this moment, a source disclosed: "She seems to be making a real effort to look demure, not overshadow him the whole red carpet."
During the occasion, Meghan received recognition as "a mother, wife, entrepreneur, and philanthropist".
The Duke's involvement with mental health charities and his contentious autobiography Spare were spotlighted amongst his achievements.
Whilst appearing on stage in New York, the Duchess discussed her youngsters Archie and Lilibet, alongside the risks posed by the digital world.
She declared: "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."
Harry accompanied his spouse on stage and remarked: "This is a pivotal moment in our collective mission to protect children and support families in a digital age."