Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Befriend a Budding Actress—and a Dog!—on International Women's Day

Future wife and husband meet with a young aspiring star

By Samantha Schnurr Mar 08, 2018 2:37 PMTags

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sure know how to work a crowd. 

The soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. stepped out for their latest joint public engagement in Birmingham on Thursday and kicked off the day with a visit to Millennium Point, a site that offers working space for educational and STEM organizations. In honor of International Women's Day, the Stemettes, an organization that works to inspire the next generation of women to pursue STEM-related careers, hosted the event. 

As expected, the couple dressed smartly for the visit, Harry sporting a camel sweater, navy slacks and a matching overcoat while Meghan debuted a white-trim navy J. Crew topcoat with Alexander Wang trousers and Manolo Blahnik pumps.  

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Meghan Markle's Best Looks
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images

Judging by the photos, there was no shortage of excitement in the crowd as the future wife and husband arrived and did a brief walkabout before heading inside. However, there was one little lady in particular eager to meet the American star—10-year-old aspiring actress Sophia Richards. After Prince Harry found out what she wanted be when she grew up, he knew just the person she should meet. 

"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," Richards told reporters after. "It was a dream come true. I will never forget this day."

As a sweet gesture, Markle embraced the youngster in a heartwarming hug. If that wasn't enough to make your heart swell, Prince Harry also stopped to pet a dog while chatting with its owner. 

After getting to mingle with 90 young female students aspiring to become doctors and surgeons at the Millennium Point event, the couple paid a visit to a group of Coach Core apprentices taking part in a final training. The organization, which offers training for young people to become sports coaches, is one of the programs within the Royal Foundation. 

Following their royal wedding in May, Markle will become an official member of the foundation. In the meantime, she's been subtly preparing to take on the new role. 

As she said on a panel with her future brother-in-law and sister-in-law back in February, "I guess we wait a couple months and then we can hit the ground running."

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