'OH MY, OH MY'
Meghan Markle thrilled by gift of denim dungarees for baby Archie on solo visit to Johannesburg art studios
MEGHAN Markle was almost lost for words when she was presented with a pair of denim dungarees made specially for baby Archie.
The gifts were presented to the Duchess of Sussex, 38, as she made a solo visit to Victoria Yards in Johanesburg.
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Victoria Yards in Lorentzville is described as an urban village-environment for crafters and artists to work, collaborate and exhibit.
The Duchess went on her own without Prince Harry or their son Archie.
The Duchess was given a pair of dungarees specially made for Archie from a local designer, who declined to comment on his meeting with her.
Meghan was also delighted when she was given a pair of designer jeans made especially for her from one of South Africa's up-and-coming brands.
Meghan could only say, "Oh my, oh my" when she saw the skinny fit jeans.
'VERY CUTE'
And when a tiny pair of dungarees, made for her son Archie, were handed over, her words summed them up: "Very cute."
Lesedi Masemola, manager of Tshepo's showroom, which features the company's workshops and studios, said: "From what we've seen on the internet, she's the type of person who loves skinny fit so that's what we made.
"When she saw the jeans, the words she said were, 'Oh my, oh my', she was very impressed, she loved the jeans, she said she couldn't wait to try them on and said, 'Wow'.
"And when she saw the dungarees, she said, 'Very cute'."
The manager added: "I think they are very, very lovely."
Tshepo is a premium lifestyle brand that has a modern contemporary take on the use of denim and cotton.
Meghan's designer jeans cost 2,100 South African rand (£113) but for Archie's dungarees, Mr Masemola said "that was a special order we've never done before so I couldn't give you a price".
Artist James Delaney told : "We were told in the morning to expect a very important guest later in the day, and that the complex would be shut down from 1pm."
While the name of the VIP guest wasn't reveal Mr Delaney said the tenants quickly guessed as they knew "Meghan was in town".
Meghan arrived at around 2pm with the artists putting their work and designs on display.
'WHIRLWIND' VISIT
Mr Delaney said he had a "friendly chat" with Meghan, adding "I introduced myself as James, and she said: 'Hi, I'm Meghan."
He described the visit, which lasted about half an hour, as a "whirlwind," saying "it was lovely to meet her."
Meghan also revealed she used to teach bookbinding classes.
Meghan bought three little blank notebooks from an organisation called Young Bucks, which uses recycled goods to bind books, made by local interns.
Meghan’s were made from an “up-cycled” local fabric called shweshwe, a dyed and printed fabric used to make colourful South African clothing.
Simon Sizwe Mayson, co-director of the Maker’s Valley Partnership, which has helped to create the collective, said: “She bought these three little notebooks and also mentioned that she used to do workshops in bookbinding herself. She used to coach bookbinding.”
Meghan wore a navy Wilfred By Artiza shirt dress and red slingback flats by Everlane for her visit as she chatted to the artisans on the eighth day of their African tour.
The official Johannesburg leg of their royal tour gets underway on Tuesday and will culminate with a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria the following day.
While Meghan ventured out on her own Prince Harry had earlier in the day put his photography skills to use by launching a campaign with the National Geographic to raise awareness of the role trees play in the earth's eco-system.
South Africa marks the last leg of their ten-day tour around southern Africa.
The Duke and Duchess met up with the Angolan president Joao Lourenco at the presidential palace in Luanda just two days ago.
The meeting comes after a packed Friday, in which he visited a landmine clearance project that featured in some of the most famous photographs of his late mother, Princess Diana.
The Duke, 35, has briefly parted ways with Meghan, 38, and their four-month-old son after they all landed in South Africa on Monday.
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Their first overseas tour as a family has featured engagements including visits to poor townships and a meeting with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu.
They'll reunite towards the end of the ten-day trip in Johannesburg on Wednesday, before returning to the UK.
Earlier in the tour baby Archie had won over everyone's hearts when the toddler met Archbishop Desmond Tutu and gave him a high five.
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