Head Boy Gives Meghan Markle Big Hug And Kiss During Surprise School Visit

Sometimes, you get so excited by something that you forget where you are and the usual levels of reserve go out of the window.

And when young Aker Okoye, 16, got the chance to share a stage with Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle when she visited his school, it's fair to say he got a bit carried away.

The Duchess was making a surprise trip to his school - Robert Clack Upper School in Dagenham, east London - ahead of International Womens' Day.

And when she invited Okoye up on stage, he went way over the usual royal greeting of a bow, curtsy or deferential knee drop and steamed in for a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

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The Duchess returned the hug with gusto, leaving Okoye to buzz off his own good luck. Meghan and husband Harry have become known for being more progressive and modern than most royals, often disregarding protocol for a more human approach.

After the applause died down, he added a cheeky aside, saying: "She really is beautiful, innit. I had to speak the truth there."

Okoye was quick to remind people about the importance of International Women's Day, saying: "International Women's Day is a reminder to everyone that women can do it all and do do it all.

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"This is more of a message to all you guys. Maybe this Sunday could be the one day we don't look at women as objects."

The visit had been kept under wraps from the pupils. After one of her many standing ovations, Meghan told them: "I thought that you knew I was coming, so I'm sorry for the surprise.

"It is such an honour for me to be here today. When we thought about what I wanted to do for International Women's Day this year, for me it was incredibly important to be with the women of our future.

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"And that is all of you young women here, as well as you young men who play a very large part in this. 'I think specifically coming to your school made a lot of sense for me because of this social justice and the impact that it's rooted in'.

Meghan also posed for a photo with the students, with their arms in an equals sign as a nod to the 'EachforEqual' International Women's Day campaign.

Topics: uk news

Simon Binns

Simon is the editor of LADbible. He's also the former CityLife editor at the Manchester Evening News and has worked as a journalist for the BBC, The Guardian and loads of places you've never heard of. Boro fan. Parmo expert.

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