This afternoon, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle carried out their second engagement as a couple in Brixton, south London with a tour of music station Reprezent 107.3 FM. Excited crowds gathered for hours outside to greet the pair, holding up homemade signs and cheering when they finally arrived.
Reprezent CEO, Shane Carey, told reporters:
“Since the visit was announced there’s been massive excitement in the station – much more than I could have expected. We’re having the spotlight shone on us from all the world’s media pretty much, we’ve never had this attention. The whole point of this is that the young people learn how to be creative and then shine with it and they’re really getting a chance now.”
He noted that Harry and Meghan approached him about a visit three days before Christmas, having heard about the station from The Queen’s Young Leaders, an organization with which Harry works.
Per the Daily Mail:
Inside Reprezent’s studios, the couple, who got engaged in November and will wed in May, met presenter Gloria Beyi, 17, host of radio show Glory Talks, who was on air, and her producer, Finn Whitehead, 27. Alongside the music, she chats with her listeners about her favourite tracks, tweets and life generally.
The couple timed their entrance perfectly as the presenter had just started a track which meant they could talk without the listeners hearing them. The 17-year-old DJ admitted she was the youngest in the station when she was quizzed by Ms Markle.
The teenager talked about how she had been given the opportunity to host her own show after doing work experience at the station when aged 16. At one point Harry made Meghan laugh by gesturing towards a CD mixer as if he was about to start ‘scratching’ a track.
As their few minutes with the presenter ended, Meghan praised the presenter, adding: ‘I can see why your show is so popular. You’re so thoughtful and your approach is so engaging.’ Meghan then made everyone laugh when she added: ‘I must tune in.’
As well as this:
“Founded in 2003 by former teacher Shane Carey, Reprezent 107.3 FM grew out of a south London community radio project in response to a sudden increase in knife crime in Peckham, south London. In 2011 it won its FM licence and is now known as a hotbed of UK music talent, nurturing stars including the grime maestro Stormzy, who started off as a guest but whose natural persona led to him being offered his own monthly show. Several of its presenters have also gone onto work on stations such as Radio 1Xtra.”
From reporter Rebecca English:
Harry and Meghan declined to be on the radio themselves and instead spent their visit meeting with station staff, particularly young people, and greeting the assembled crowds who turned up to say hello.
At various points Meghan seemed genuinely touched by the excitement of the public, and as has become a staple for their outings together, the couple held hands and were close by as they made their way in and out of the station.
Meghan wore a grey coat by Smythe, a black sweater from Marks & Spencer, black trousers from Burberry and a pale grey scarf from Jigsaw.
Pre-wedding excitement aside, I think what mostly jumped out at me today was that Meghan wore trousers, a rarity for members of the Royal Family. On occasion the Countess of Wessex has, but by and large it’s dresses and skirts for the Windsor women. The Duchess of Cambridge, in particular, is famous for rarely choosing trousers outside of skinny jeans at more casual engagements, so it’ll be interesting to see if this trend takes off. Personally, I’m all for it – it’s a nice change of pace.
We’ll cover Kate’s engagement tomorrow and then it’ll be back to history Thursday through Saturday.