Prince Harry was joined by a friendly face at the 2024 BetterUp Uplift Summit.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, snapped a pic with Mindy Kaling, a friend of Meghan Markle, at the event in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 10, where he hosted a panel titled “Beyond Burnout: Transforming C-Level Stress Into Strength.” The discussion was focused on burnout in the workplace.
The pair were all smiles posing for a photo, which was shared via Harry and Meghan’s website, Sussex.com. Kaling, 44, sported a black, white and red patterned cardigan and gray jeans, while Harry kept things classy in a gray blazer, white dress shirt and black trousers.
Kaling reportedly chimed in during Harry’s panel as he spoke with BetterUp’s Chairman of the Center for Purpose & Performance, organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant, and Cisco’s Chief People Officer, Kelly Jones. (Harry has served as BetterUp’s Chief Impact Officer since 2021.)
When asked what she’s been “rethinking lately,” Kaling replied with her kids — daughter Katherine, 6, and son Spencer, 3 — in mind. “Gentle parenting I am rethinking,” she said, per Hello! Magazine. “It’s this thing lots of L.A. and New York and certain progressive cities do, and sometimes you just have to scream at your kids … so I am rethinking it!”
According to Sussex.com, Harry and his guests “dove into the psychological toll of leading through uncertainty” during Wednesday’s panel by “sharing personal anecdotes, evidence-based practices, and forward-thinking policies aimed at helping leaders thrive amidst the pressures of today’s world and modern corporate life.”
Kaling is one of many celebrities who backed Harry and Meghan’s decision to step down from senior royal duties in 2020. She later appeared as a guest on Meghan’s “Archetypes” podcast, during which they opened up about the insecurities they each experienced growing up.
Meghan, 42, described her childhood self as an “ugly duckling,” adding, “I never had anyone to sit with at lunch. I was always a little bit of a loner and really shy and didn’t know where I fit in.”
During the 2022 podcast episode, Meghan explained that it was through joining clubs and activities that she learned to gain confidence and make friends.
The BetterUp Uplift Summit comes amid Harry and Meghan’s strained relationship with the royal family. When Princess Kate Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis last month, it was reported that the couple — who have lived in California since 2020 — learned of the news on TV.
“When you do discover that your sister-in-law has cancer and you’ve written stuff that can’t be retracted, that’s quite a painful place to be in,” royal expert Tessa Dunlop exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month, referring to Harry’s bombshell 2023 memoir, Spare.
Royal author Tom Quinn previously told The Mirror that Prince William and Kate, 42, reached out to Harry and Meghan and “suggested” that they visit the U.K. with their kids, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2. Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor’s upcoming wedding to Olivia Henson in June may also provide the opportunity for a reunion, though it’s unknown whether both brothers will attend.
