Meghan Markle hugged a schoolgirl in Birmingham today as she as her royal fiancé Prince Harry were welcomed to the city by excited schoolchildren.
Meghan, who prides herself on being a feminist who is outspoken about female empowerment, and Harry are marking International Women’s Day.
The couple are making their first stop an event which aims to inspire the next generation of young women to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (Stem).
Meghan Markle hugs to a young schoolgirl as her royal fiancé Prince Harry watches at Millennium Point in Birmingham today
Meghan and Harry both spoke to the schoolgirl, who was holding a Union Jack flag to welcome the couple to Birmingham
Harry and Meghan are on the latest leg in the regional tours the couple are undertaking in the run-up to their May wedding
Hosted by social enterprise Stemettes at Millennium Point, the event will bring together female students from local secondary schools.
It will include interactive activities, a panel discussion, speed networking opportunities with local businesses, and information on work experience, apprenticeships, A-level choices, and university degrees in Stem.
Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, who is wearing a J Crew coat, plan to get hands on as they join the girls taking part in building apps and touchpads, before hearing more about their motivations to pursue Stem subjects.
Afterwards they will travel on to the Nechells Wellbeing Centre to join Birmingham’s Coach Core apprentices as they take part in a training masterclass led by Create Development.
The Coach Core apprenticeship scheme was designed by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry to train young people aged 16 – 24 with limited opportunities to become sports coaches and mentors within their communities.
During the year-long apprenticeship, which now operates in ten cities across the UK, the apprentices learn technical sport skills alongside an inclusive and holistic approach to coaching, with an emphasis on employability and mentoring skills.
Meghan talks to schoolchildren as she arrives with her fiancé Prince Harry to take part in the International Women’s Day event
Harry and Meghan visit an event that aims to inspire the next generation of young women to pursue careers in ‘Stem’ subjects
It’s no surprise that Meghan, along with her royal fiancé Prince Harry, are marking International Women’s Day today
Harry and Meghan are visiting Birmingham to learn more about the work of two projects which support local young people
Harry and Meghan put a hand on each other’s backs as they wave to the crowds during the walkabout in Birmingham
Harry and Meghan speak to two women during their walkabout on a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham this morning
Meghan talks to children as the royal couple arrive in Birmingham for their visit to the West Midlands this morning
Harry and Meghan will chat to the apprentices about their experiences of the programme – which launched in Birmingham in March 2017 – before joining them in the sports hall as they deliver training sessions in rugby, football and tennis.
Today’s visit continues Meghan’s promise to ‘hit the ground running’ as a member of the royal family, and visit as many communities as possible around the UK before her wedding to the Queen’s grandson on May 19.
The trip comes after the Daily Mail revealed today that Meghan has been baptised into the Church of England in a secret ceremony with Prince Harry at her side at the Chapel Royal on Tuesday evening.
The intimate 45-minute service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury – and were joined by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, but neither Prince William nor the Queen were present.
Meghan’s baptism, which formally introduces her into the Anglican faith ahead of her wedding to Harry in two months, marks an important step on her transformation from divorced American actress to future granddaughter-in-law to the Queen. The ceremony was a closely-guarded secret with only a handful of royal aides involved.
Children await Harry and Meghan’s visit to Birmingham this morning as they wave Union Jack flags
Members of the public wait to greet Harry and Meghan outside Millennium Point in Birmingham this morning
Today is the couple’s latest leg in the regional tours the couple are undertaking in the run-up to their May wedding
Crowds waiting for Harry and Meghan to arrive for a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham this morning
Public trip 4: Harry and Meghan meet Pony Major Mark Wilkinson and mascot Cruachan IV in Edinburgh on February 13
Public trip 3: Harry and Meghan clap after watching a performance in Wales during a visit to Cardiff Castle on January 18
Public trip 2: Harry and Meghan speak to presenters on a community radio station in Brixton, South London, on January 9
Public trip 1: Harry and Meghan go on their first public walkabout together in Nottingham on December 1 last year