Meghan Markle made a heartwarming appearance at the Sundance Film Festival, embracing Girl Scouts as she and Prince Harry promoted their latest documentary centered around the beloved American tradition of selling cookies. This event holds special significance for Meghan, who once donned the Girl Scouts uniform herself.

The royal couple attended a special screening of their film, “Cookie Queens,” which chronicles the journeys of four Girl Scouts during the cookie-selling season. The documentary offers a glimpse into a cherished American pastime, one Meghan personally experienced during her youth.

At 44, Meghan was all smiles as she shared a touching moment with the Girl Scouts in Utah, reflecting her genuine connection to the film’s theme. Her involvement with the Scouts began in California, where her mother, Doria Ragland, played a pivotal role as her troop leader.

In a social media post from April, Meghan highlighted her podcast, “Confessions of a Female Founder,” sharing vintage photos of herself selling cookies in a Girl Scouts uniform. She emphasized the entrepreneurial spirit that can begin at a young age.

Meghan has previously expressed her personal connection to the film, stating, “As a former Girl Scout with my mom as my troop leader, I feel a deep affinity for this project. I am proud that our collaboration has allowed Archewell Productions to partner with an award-winning team to executive produce this captivating documentary.”

She previously said: ‘As a former Girl Scout myself, with my mom as my troop leader, I have a personal affinity for this film and am proud that all our conversations and collaboration have led to Archewell Productions partnering with this award-winning team to executive produce this incredibly captivating documentary.

‘When we first viewed the early footage of this documentary, it was immediately something we wanted to be involved in.

The documentary is 91-minutes long. It is one of a few production projects Meghan has been involved in now

An excited Meghan spoke to and hugged the Girls Scouts at the festival where she and Harry attended a special screening

Meghan posted photos of her as a Girl Scout selling cookies in April last year

‘The creative point of view, the edgy yet humanising tone and tenor of the directing, and the glimpse behind- the-scenes into such a nostalgic and also modern tradition of Girl Scout Cookie season are absolutely irresistible.’ 

Harry, 41, and Meghan are executive producers on the documentary directed by Alysa Nahmias and produced in partnership with Archewell Productions, Beautiful Stories and AJNA Films.

It showed in the family matinee category at the festival.

The film’s description reads: ‘Captivating, candid, and full of heart, the film follows four girls ages five to twelve and their families as they navigate the annual whirlwind of selling, striving, and succeeding.

‘For these Girl Scouts, selling cookies isn’t just about Thin Mints and sisterhood – it’s a crash course in entrepreneurship. Behind the smiles and cookie boxes lie real pressure: long hours, ambitious sales goals, and the weight of high expectations.

‘Nahmias crafts a bold, vibrant, observational portrait that honors the girls’ perspectives and illuminates the emotional and intellectual stakes of their experiences’.

The royal couple were first announced to be part of the Cookie Queens film in December last year.

‘As a former Girl Scout myself, with my mom as my troop leader, I have a personal affinity for this film’, Meghan said

Meghan grew up in California where she began her stint in the Girls Scouts. She said on Instagram, ‘being an entrepreneur can start young’

The royal couple posed for photos with Amy Redford, daughter of the late Robert Redford who founded the Sundance Institute that runs the festival

(From left to right) Prince Harry, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, Eugene Hernandez, Alysa Nahmias, Amy Redford and Meghan at the festival

The Duchess of Sussex is, of course, no stranger to the film industry with her long career as an actress, notably in Suits.

She has also been a producer on several other projects – recently working with Harry on another Netflix documentary Masaka Kids: A Rhythm Within.

This followed the story of a Uganda-based YouTube dance group, but Cookie Queens is the couple’s first full-length documentary feature.

Meghan has also produced several TV series, like Live to Lead, Polo, and With Love, Meghan.

The Sundance Film Festival is the biggest independent film festival in the USA and is organised by the Sundance Institute, founded by Robert Redford.

It began in Salt Lake City in 1978 to showcase American films, but it has since been expanded to include international dramas and documentaries.