In recent weeks, Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry have really proven that they care about their fans and admirers.
While on their royal tour "down under", the Duke and Duchess of Sussex greeted a number of people that had turned up to meet them. A couple of the more notable examples were the young boy who was absolutely fascinated with Prince Harry's beard, the teenager who got to give the prince a hug (against protocol!), and the crowd who got to enjoy a bit of banter from the Royals after presenting Meghan with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
But they weren't the only people to have been lucky enough to meet the royal couple. This week, a 20-year-old Instagrammer named Hannah Sergel got to interact with the former Suits actress after she spotted her in a crowd in New Zealand.
The pair became familiar over Instagram after Sergel set up a fan account for the actress in 2015, and began exchanging messages after the 20-year-old spoke out about her mental health struggles online, an important issue that Meghan has very publicly supported.
In fact, the pair has met before, as you can see from this incredible video that Hannah shared back in January 2016:
I was friends with her on Instagram before she had to deactivate her account. We used to have conversations and stuff on there," Sergel told reporters. "She would tell me to do well at university and encourage me to be myself."
The young woman had never had the opportunity to meet her idol, however... until yesterday.
Sergel flew across the country in order to greet the duchess, and brought a letter along with her for Meghan to read. She knew all along that there was a chance that the new royal might not be able to speak to her, but she took the risk anyway - and it certainly paid off.
In a video posted to Twitter, along with the caption, "the wee 'oh my god' when she realises it’s me", you can see the moment that Meghan recognizes her old friend:
"She recognized me and knew who I was so that's why she came over," said Sergel. "She gave me a hug which was incredible - when I first saw her I cried. She's just such an incredible person and I'm just so glad she's happy with Harry."
The Instagrammer later posted this video to her Twitter account, in which you can see their interaction from a different angle:
She also shared a snap of Meghan holding the letter:
"[Meghan] has inspired me to be the best version of myself that I can be," said the superfan. "‘She has inspired me to keep going when things get tough and to always be kind. I admire her willingness to try new things, her intellect and how she uses her public platform to inspire change within the world."
Sergel also shared that the Prime Minister of New Zealand comforted her after her interaction with Meghan, as she was so tearful after getting to embrace the duchess.
Once again, then, the royal couple have shown that they welcome friends and fans with open arms, and that - no matter where life takes Meghan - the duchess will always be humble.
