Looks like Meghan Markle can now add “playing sports in stilettos” to the list of skills she’s picked up as a royal.
On Monday (September 24), she and Prince Harry visited Britain’s Loughborough University where they met with honorees from a program called Coach Core (which works to inspire the next generation of athletes and train them to become coaches, People reports). The couple hung out in the university gym, where they took part in a pickup game of net ball.
Dressed in a navy Oscar de la Renta blouse, black Altuzarra trousers and a pair of high-heeled boots, Markle held her own in a team drill. Somehow, she made it look effortless, despite the fact that she wasn’t wearing proper gym-class attire. After the game was over, Prince Harry adorably pulled her in for an impromptu hug
According to People, Coach Core was started by the Royal Foundation (which is led by Prince Harry, Markle, Prince William, and Kate Middleton) after the London Olympics. The organization was recently awarded the $1.3 million National Lottery grant from Sport England and will add 10 new sites across England in the next three years.
Playing sports with the public has proven to be an important duty for this generation of royals. In the seven years since becoming a royal herself, Kate Middleton has been spotted taking part in everything from a cricket match in India to a volleyball game in East London. Like Markle, she tends to eschew sneakers for heels on such occasions.
While heels aren’t technically a wardrobe requirement for the royal women, there is one footwear rule they are expected to follow for official engagements: They must always wear closed-toe shoes. “Open-toed shoes are considered informal footwear,” etiquette expert William Hanson told Harper’s Bazaar, “and inappropriate for formal occasions.”
