Millionaire volunteer Helen Teasdale's 'dry' response to Meghan Markle goes viral

Helen Teasdale is no ordinary volunteer. The 71-year-old woman who recently took social media by storm with her dry response to Meghan Markle turns out to be a millionaire businesswoman. Reports suggest she felt annoyed when the Duchess of Sussex asked questions while Mrs Teasdale showed how to pack donation bags at Himmah in Nottingham. These demonstrations were widely called 'performative'.

The video went viral after footage captured Harry and Meghan visiting the food poverty action group. Mrs Teasdale stood before a crate full of baked beans, held up a bag for the Duchess, and stated the task was 'not very difficult'. Meghan seemed puzzled and asked if she should move to 'another station', but the volunteer shook her head with authority and told her to take the bag and follow. Many online viewers thought this moment proved a regular Nottingham resident had put the royal couple in their place.

However, the Daily Mail can reveal that Mrs Teasdale is wealthy. She founded the successful Springhead Brewery with her husband Richard Scragg before selling it to new owners. The award-winning micro-brewery still supplies ales to Tesco and J D Wetherspoon. One of their signature beers is named 'Roaring Meg'. This citrus-flavoured IPA gets its name from a Civil War Cannon used on the battlefield in Newark, Nottinghamshire, not the former Suits star who has recently returned to the UK from California.

Mrs Teasdale remains on the board of the company and praised the beer to local press in 2018. She noted that 'In the evening we might share a bottle of Roaring Meg'. She added that it is not over-hopped and has a sweet honey aroma, which appeals to women drinkers. It appeals to men as well as women and to both the young and old.' On Companies House she is listed as a director and secretary alongside her 72-year-old husband. Their son Keir Teasdale, 45, serves as head brewer and hosts tours of the brewery on the outskirts of Nottingham. Daughter Eve is also involved in the business.

The family lives in a £1.6million five-bedroom house on an exclusive private estate just a mile from Nottingham city centre. It is only a ten-minute walk to the Himmah food bank, where Mrs Teasdale helps once a week, usually on a Monday. The gated home features a music room, a private library, and a spacious kitchen with a stone painted barrel-vaulted ceiling. The property is currently up for sale, though the asking price has seemingly put off potential buyers.

Mrs Teasdale was unavailable for comment when reporters buzzed the intercom. A friend revealed how she is well known and well liked in the area and is a frequent visitor to a deli just around the corner from her home. The friend said: 'We know Helen really well. She's a very cheerful person, very chatty and enjoys helping out at the foodbank.' They added that they had not seen her since she met Harry and Meghan but knew she would have enjoyed the experience. A neighbour confirmed that many people on the estate know Helen as well.

Meghan Markle is a lovely lady who has lived in Nottingham for many years. She recently commented on the housing market, noting that the local asking price seems quite high for potential buyers. The house she mentioned has been listed for sale for some time now.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first joint outing in the UK in six years last Thursday. They visited Nottingham, the city where they first appeared as an engaged couple back in December 2017. Their arrival was marked by a hand-in-hand walk to greet well-wishers and pose for selfies.

The visit included stops at several local organizations. They toured the Community Recording Studio in St. Ann's, which mentors young people through music. They also visited Epic Partners, an organization offering educational activities and sports programs to families. But it was their stop at food charity Himmah that grabbed headlines. Located in Radford, this group provides basic necessities to those in need.

Harry, 42, and Meghan participated in community cooking activities before helping prepare care packages. The visit held personal significance for Meghan. She reunited with women from the Hubb Community Kitchen, a project she helped launch after the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017. That tragedy claimed the lives of 72 people.

Royal watchers were baffled by the duchess's stream of questions to Mrs Teasdale during the task. Some found her approach performative given how basic the work was. One person on X wrote that it is wild she does not understand how such an operation works. A manager at Himmah told the Mail they were unaware of any awkwardness at the time because Meghan was busy with volunteers. Helen, a local volunteer, comes in whenever she has free time, usually at the beginning of the week. She lives close by and the team is always grateful for her support.

The Daily Mail revealed last week that Harry and Meghan had a former Kensington Palace aide at their side during this faux-royal walkabout. Beth Herlihy appeared in Hollyoaks as a soap opera stripper before becoming one of their most trusted aides. She helped plan engagements in the city and walked a few paces behind them while working the crowd of 100 supporters. The couple carried out these royal-style engagements in the East Midlands, marking their first joint appearance since returning to the UK from California.

The visit comes at a time of intense scrutiny for the couple. They stepped down from roles as working royals in 2020 following their split from the Royal Family and move across the Atlantic. Their royal status has not changed. King Charles made this clear in an official statement from Buckingham Palace. He reiterated that they are private citizens and their personal activities do not represent the Royal Family.

In the past, Mrs Teasdale has raised support for The Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance Charitable Trust on her Facebook page. She also used social media to share a Greenpeace campaign aimed at banning super trawlers from protected marine areas in the UK. Additionally, she promoted a pro-asylum petition by charity Refugee Action.