Prince Harry & Meghan Surprised a Poetry Class for Black History Month

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle surprised poetry students over the weekend. ANDY STENNING/AFP via Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance this weekend, as they popped into a Zoom session of a youth poetry class to celebrate Black History Month.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle surprised students during a virtual session of Get Lit—Words Ignite, a Los Angeles-based poetry organization that is taught in over 100 schools in the area. The initiative aims to help increase literacy, empower youth and inspire communities.

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According to royal expert Omid Scobie in Harper’s Bazaar, Prince Harry and Meghan’s appearance coincided with the release of the organizations new Virtual Anthology that celebrates Black authors and poets.

The students weren’t told about the regal guests beforehand, but they appear to have been very excited by the drop in, at least according to the photo of the session shared on Instagram. “Guess who surprised our poetry class this weekend?! It was the best weekend EVER! Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were magic and kind and interested in poetry! The Duchess even shared some of her favorite poetry lines,” reads the caption of a post shared by Get Lit’s Instagram. “We are so grateful for their visit in honor of Black History Month. It goes down as most epic experience in Get Lit history!!!”

Mason Granger, the program’s Manager of Public Outreach, also shared a photo on Instagram of the group Zoom, and said his favorite part of the event was “Meghan echoing so many sentiments we’ve talked about in class, about this particular moment in time/history to be a young person and the ripple effect of a single voice.”

Prince Harry and Meghan chatted with the students for 45 minutes; per Granger’s post, the kids shared poems and asked questions, and the Sussexes “responded authentically.” The Duke and Duchess of Sussex definitely did their homework prior to the meeting, as according to Granger, it was clear that they had “actually read and learned the kids bios” that had been sent over earlier. Granger said to expect more details about the visit, as the organization and the students will be posting more information about the Sussexes’ virtual visit. He also wrote that the Sussexes were true dream guests, and “the Get Lit Players are brilliant and 10/10 would recommend The Duke and Duchess of Sussex for your next Zoom poetry practice.”