Schoolboy who hugged Meghan Markle writes to Prince Harry: I hope you didn’t mind me cuddling your wife

Jason Collie9 March 2020

The confident teenager who hugged the Duchess of Sussex during a surprise visit to his school has written to Prince Harry after “cuddling” his wife.

Aker Okoye, 16, said he was “just so overwhelmed and shocked” to meet Meghan when she came to his school on Friday.

Addressing Harry, he said: “I hope you didn’t mind me cuddling your wife,” adding: “It was a pleasure to hear her speech and to speak in front of her as well.”

The student penned the note after he was pictured hugging the Duchess on stage at Robert Clack school on Friday.

In the letter, published in The Sun, the teenager also said he hoped to meet Harry one day, and wished the royal couple “good luck for the future” as they step back from senior royal duties.

Aker Okoye and the Duchess of Sussex embrace
PA

The head boy jumped at the chance to meet the Duchess who visited the Dagenham school to mark International Women’s Day.

As he greeted her on stage he told his fellow pupils: “She really is beautiful. I had to speak the truth there.”

With a smile, Meghan praised Aker’s “incredible confidence”.

The 16-year-old said he was “starstruck” by the opportunity “to speak in front of someone so famous and important.”

He told the newspaper: “I’ve written the letter to make sure Harry doesn’t have a problem with it and to say sorry really and that I hope he didn’t mind.

The Duchess of Sussex visits Robert Clack School in Dagenham

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“Meghan didn’t – she found it funny and I’m sure Harry will as well.

“When she asked which brave young man wanted to do a talk I jumped at the chance.

“I leapt up there. I thought it would be proper protocol to give her a cuddle.

“It’s all a blur.”

The royal couple are due to take part in their last scheduled engagement on Monday when they attend the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey alongside other senior members of the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex farewell tour - In pictures

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They will begin their new life as financially independent royals on March 31.

PA Media contributed to this article

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