Meghan Markle hugged a 10-year-old aspiring actress

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Meghan Markle is at it again! She’s consistently proven to be the most outspoken, going-against-tradition type this generation of the royal family has seen. She was recently spotted hugging a 10-year-old girl on a visit to Birmingham on March 8.

According to Eonline, the little girl, Sophia Richards, told Prince Harry she wants to be an actress when she grows up, and that spurred him to take her to meet his fiancée and former actress, Markle.

After chatting with the girl, Markle gave her a hug before the royal couple had to send her back to be with her classmates.

Richards told People, “Meghan told me that I can achieve whatever I want to achieve. And Meghan said she would like to see me on TV when I become an actress.”

meghan markle birmingham photo
Getty Images | Chris Jackson

The 10-year-old described the encounter as, “a dream come true,” and told People, “I will never forget this day.” How cute!

Their brief meeting was caught on video:

And you can watch the hug happen here:

This is not the first time that Markle has broken traditional protocol and hugged a member of the public. She also hugged Alice Thompson, the co-founder of a charity called Social Bite, on a visit to Scotland.

Harry’s mother Princess Diana was also known for her warm relationship with people and hugged them on multiple occasions. She was fondly known as the “People’s Princess,” after all.

Markle is already following in Princess Diana’s footsteps by using the public’s interest in her to advocate for causes in which she believes. Princess Diana was a huge supporter of reducing stigma against AIDS, and for Markle, it’s important to encourage people to listen to womens’ voices.

Meghan Markle Birmingham photo
Getty Images | WPA Pool

In the first meeting where Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Markle all appeared together to discuss their charity work through the Royal Foundation, Markle made it clear that she was an advocate for women. She told the crowd:

“Right now with so many campaigns like #MeToo and Time’s Up there’s no better time to continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them.”

In a speech she gave to UN Women, Markle explained that she has been fighting for women’s rights, perhaps unknowingly, since she was 11 years old:

Her soon-to-be-husband couldn’t be more excited to pursue their passions together and make the world a better place.

“I know the fact that she’ll be really unbelievably good at the job part of it is obviously a huge relief to me,” Prince Harry said in their first official interview as a couple. “We’re a fantastic team, we know we are, and we hope to over time try and have as much impact for all of the things that we care about.”

Markle followed with, “We realize once you have access or a voice that people are willing to listen to, with that comes a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously.”

In the talk the young royal couples gave jointly about the Royal Foundation, Markle said she has already begun pursuing her passions.

“For me it’s very important to want to hit the ground running … even if it’s doing it quietly behind the scenes, which is what I’ve focused my energy on thus far,” she said, according to the BBC.

Markle’s words of encouragement and hugging that little girl prove how she already takes her role of inspiring and uplifting others seriously. Needless to say, we have all the confidence that she’ll fulfill her role as a royal quite well.

Now, who’s ready for that royal wedding, already?!

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About the Author
Augusta Statz
I have a B.F.A. in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. I’m an avid writer with a genuine sense of curiosity. I feel the best way to absorb the world around you is through fashion, art and food, so that’s what I spend most of my time writing about.

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