Malala Yousafzai recently shared a humorous yet awkward story about her first meeting with Prince Harry, revealing how cultural traditions played a role in a very memorable photo moment.
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show on October 31, the Nobel Peace Prize winner recalled how her mother intervened when Prince Harry placed his arm around her shoulder for a picture.
“My mum was also very strict, she wanted me to stick to the Pakistani traditional culture,” Malala explained. “So when I met Prince Harry, we were taking a photo together and he put his arm around my shoulder and my mum goes up to him and she says, ‘Remove.’ She just, like, shoves off his hand.”
Malala, who was just 17 at the time, shared that her family’s protective instincts were rooted in deeply held cultural traditions.
She further elaborated on the incident during an appearance on Lorraine Kelly’s ITV show, saying:
“Prince Harry was very, very sweet and he put his arm around me… but my mum, because of the culture, it’s a man putting an arm around a girl. She just went up to Prince Harry and said, ‘Remove — no touch.’ I was terrified when that was happening — poor Prince Harry, his face went red.”
Despite the awkward first meeting, Malala later reconnected with the Duke of Sussex virtually in 2020, alongside Meghan Markle, to discuss global education for young women during the pandemic.
“When young girls have access to education, everyone wins,” Meghan remarked during the call. Prince Harry added, “To know there are 113 million girls out of education, the numbers only go up. It worries me and probably worried all of us, the effect of that has not only on the family but also on society as well.”
This story offers a glimpse into Malala’s life navigating cultural expectations while interacting with global figures, highlighting both the challenges and lighter moments that come with international recognition.
