How Meghan Markle broke royal protocol? this time by way of hugging a 10-year-old royal fan who had shown up hoping to meet Meghan Markle and get her tips on becoming an actor.
The soon-to-be royal and her fiancé Prince Harry were in Birmingham, visiting the Millennium Point building for an event celebrating International Women’s Day. They met with young female students from local schools who are being encouraged to undertake STEM subjects.
In a video that has surfaced on Twitter, Markle can be seen chatting and greeting young students before her fiancé runs up and taps her on the shoulder. Prince Harry can then be seen introducing Markle to 10-year-old Sophia Richards, who reportedly has dreams of becoming an actress–just like Markle. You can see one of the clips here.
Watch: Meghan hugs Sophia Richards, 10, of @OasisWarndon after encouraging the schoolgirl in her dreams of being an actress @people pic.twitter.com/8pUOVFJOFC
— Simon Perry (@SPerryPeoplemag) March 8, 2018
“Meghan told me that I can achieve whatever I want to achieve,” Richards later told People of the encounter. “And Meghan said she would like to see me on TV when I become an actress. It was a dream come true. I will never forget this day.”
Markle is also seen giving Richards a big hug, which is technically against royal protocol. While Kate Middleton has done it from time to time, as well as Princess Diana, there is a set of guidelines on the Royal Family’s official website. Essentially, the general public are instructed to “observe the traditional forms.” It reads: “For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.” However, the website also stipulates there are “no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting the Queen or a member of the Royal Family.”
This comes after Markle recently broke royal protocol by speaking out about the #MeToo and Time’s Up initiatives and lending her support to the causes.
Either way, it seems Markle has made one young woman’s day, and if that encourages her to pursue her dreams then it’s the ultimate International Women’s Day gesture.
