Meghan Markle steals the show during first public outing of the year

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Author: news.com.au,
Publish Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2018, 8:26AM

Meghan Markle has wowed large crowds who gathered to see her visit a radio station in South London with Prince Harry in her second official engagement.

The couple visited Reprezent Radio in Brixton on Tuesday afternoon — a community station where young people learn radio and broadcasting skills in a program established to prevent a rise in knife crime.

Crowds who had gathered in the cold cheered at the sight of Markle, 36, wearing an oatmeal winter coat and scarf with her hair pulled back in a bun.

She waved back and seemed surprised by the reception. Inside the station a DJ told listeners she was "gassed with a capital G" — meaning "megaexcited" — at seeing the pair.

Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle arrive at POP Brixton to visit @ReprezentRadio 🎧 pic.twitter.com/NsxphnLDod
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 9, 2018

Once inside, the pair listened to the station broadcasting, meeting 17-year-old presenter Glory and donning headphones to listen to Flirt by the artist Pote Read .

Prince Harry made Meghan laugh by gesturing towards a CD mixer as if he was about to start "scratching" a track.

DJ at radio station @ReprezentRadio where Prince Harry & Meghan are about to arrive says she is ‘Gassed with a capital G’ (she tells this old man it means ‘mega excited’) @RemiBurgz pic.twitter.com/ucw1oBdmg0
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) January 9, 2018

As their few minutes with the presenter ended, Markle praised her work, adding: "I can see why your show is so popular. You're so thoughtful and your approach is so engaging."

She then made everyone laugh when she added: "I must tune in."

Later in the session, the Prince also demonstrated their thoroughly modern relationship as station manager Adrian Newman told him that they had a question for him during a discussion on gender equality.

Prince Harry pointed at Meghan and swiftly replied: "She answers the questions."

"Yes, talking of gender equality!" Markle replied, with a smile on her face.

Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle during their visit to the Reprezent 107.3 FM radio station. (Photo / AP)

One DJ, Jevanni Letford, showed entrepreneurial spirit as he slipped Prince Harry his business card, offering to perform at the couple's wedding.

Just slipped Prince Harry the old business card in a bid to secure that #weddingdj gig @KensingtonRoyal @ReprezentRadio @meghanmarkle #triedit #godj pic.twitter.com/Rr4TWkQKIH
— Jevanni Letford (@JevanniLetford) January 9, 2018

After the 45 minute visit the couple did an impromptu walkabout outside the radio station, meeting the hundreds of people who had turned out in the cold to shout their names.

It's the second working visit for the new royal couple since becoming engaged in November. They also visited the Terrence Higgins Trust on World Aids Day in Nottingham in December. Markle spent Christmas with the royal family and appeared at a Sandringham church service on Christmas Day in a first for a couple that is not married.

Meghan Markle waves to the crowd as she leaves after a visit withPrince Harry to the Reprezent 107.3 FM radio station. (Photo / AP)

The Reprezent training programme was established 10 years ago in response to the rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialise through radio.

It has grown to become a hotbed of UK music talent with the DJs and presenters working in the music industry, running their own club nights and producing their own music.

More than 4000 young people have been through the Reprezent programme, with over 3000 more on the waiting list.

According to Shane Carey, CEO and Founder, it was Prince Harry and Markle who approached him three days before Christmas, asking whether they could come and see the station for themselves after learning about its work with The Queen's Young Leaders.

"We didn't invite them, they approached us just before Christmas," said Mr Carey. "I was asked to give a major presentation the next day and have been working on this non-stop ever since.

"The reason they are coming is because we are aligned very closely to their interests, we do a lot of work around mental health. The whole model of Reprezent is peer mentoring, and I know that is something that really interests Prince Harry.

"This is brilliant for us. We have been slogging at it for 15 years and to actually have the spotlight shone on us in this way is remarkable."