Meghan Markle Makes Surprise Visit to California Girl Scout Camp for “Cookie Queens ”Screening

Meredith KileThu, July 30, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC

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Meghan Markle poses with Girl Scouts Olive and Celia at a special screening of Roadside Attractions’ ‘Cookie Queens’ at Camp Arnaz in Ojai, Calif., on July 29, 2026Credit: Dan Steinberg/Roadside Attractions via Getty -

Meghan Markle made a surprise appearance at a Girl Scout camp in Ojai, California, to show them her new documentary, Cookie Queens

The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry served as executive producers on the film

The documentary follows a group of Girl Scouts through their intense cookie-selling season

Meghan Markle made a special return to Girl Scout camp!

The Duchess of Sussex, 44, surprised a Girl Scout camp in Ojai, California, with a special screening of her new documentary, Cookie Queens, on Wednesday, July 29. Meghan and Cookie Queens director Alysa Nahmias visited Camp Arnaz, located less than an hour from the Duchess of Sussex’s family’s home in Montecito.

There, they posed for pics with campers as well as some of the Girl Scouts featured in the film before screening the doc.

“You never know who might show up for a screening of @cookiequeensfilm!” Nahmias posted on her Instagram story, sharing a group shot at sunset.

Meghan Markle and ‘Cookie Queens’ director Alysa Nahmias pose with some of the Girl Scouts featured in the documentary at a special screening at Camp Arnaz in in Ojai, Calif., on July 29, 2026Credit: Dan Steinberg/Roadside Attractions via Getty

Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, 41, served as executive producers on the film, which follows a group of Girl Scouts through the competitive whirlwind of their annual cookie-selling season.

Meghan’s own history with the Girl Scouts — where her mom, Doria Ragland, served as her troop leader — inspired her to get involved with Cookie Queens, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and is set to hit theaters on Aug. 7.

‘Cookie Queens’ director Alysa Nahmias snaps a selfie with Meghan Markle and Girl Scouts featured in the film at a special screening of the documentary at Camp Arnaz in Ojai, Calif., on July 29, 2026Credit: Dan Steinberg/Roadside Attractions via Getty

“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 Archewell Productions has partnered with this award-winning team to executive produce this incredibly captivating film,” she said in a March press release, when the Cookie Queens team announced the film had secured distribution. “Alysa’s creative point of view, the edgy yet humanizing 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.”

Directed by Alysa Nahmias, Cookie Queens focuses on four Scouts: Olive, Nikki, Shannon Elizabeth and Ara.

Each of the girls sets their own goals for how many boxes of cookies to sell, facing challenges and successes along the way. An official synopsis states, “A celebration of girlhood and its complexities, Cookie Queens is a coming-of-age story that explores the joys, pressures and tensions woven into one of America’s most cherished rituals: Girl Scouts of the USA cookie season.”

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Meghan Markle as a Girl ScoutCredit: Meghan Markle/Instagram

Nahmis and Meghan spoke with PEOPLE on the Sundance red carpet, sharing why the message of Cookie Queens spoke to them, both as creatives and mothers.

“For me, as a mom — and with my kids asking me to make a film that they and their friends would really want to watch — I hope it sparks conversations about what it means to grow up today, and opens up questions that can be difficult to have,” Nahmias said. “About the pressures that kids can feel from parents and society, especially girls — how we’re perceived, what our value is, and how we participate in the economy and in society.”

Meghan agreed, telling PEOPLE, “There’s nothing you can add to that. It’s the most perfect answer because it’s so true. That’s what she’s created with this. It’s incredible filmmaking, and I can’t wait for you to see it. I think people are going to love it.”

It took several months for Cookie Queens to receive distribution after its Sundance premiere, but Nahmis reiterated that the fight was worth it for Scouts across the country to see their stories on the big screen.

“Girl Scout Cookies are more than a beloved tradition – they’re a big business where talented and hard-working girls generate $800 million in annual sales. For me, this became a fascinating lens to explore a story about girlhood — the ambition, resilience, humor, and vulnerability that emerge as these girls navigate growing up in a world shaped by the tensions between community and capitalism,” the director said as she announced the theatrical release. “After the incredible response at Sundance, I’m honored to partner with Roadside Attractions, whose commitment to theatrical storytelling makes them the perfect home to bring this film to audiences nationwide.”

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Meghan told the Sundance crowd, “Yes, it’s probably the cutest film at the festival. But I’m also going to go out on a limb and say it’s one of the most powerful and meaningful depictions of an American tradition.”

As for her own favorite cookie? For the Duchess of Sussex, it’s Thin Mints.

“It’s such a classic,” she told PEOPLE with a smile. “And as a Girl Scout, it was always the one that sold the fastest, so I think you remember it for that reason too.”

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”