Meghan Markle looked visibly moved during an encounter with injured Palestinians receiving treatment at a medical facility in Jordan's capital.
The mother-of-two clasped the hand of Maria, a 14-year-old girl from Gaza who had suffered severe burns, during what was the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's third engagement of their Middle Eastern tour.
The poignant meeting took place at the Specialty Hospital in Amman, where Meghan and Prince Harry also spent time speaking with medical staff caring for wounded Gazans.
The hospital visit formed part of a packed schedule for Harry and Meghan, who are undertaking a 48-hour trip to the kingdom to witness humanitarian operations supporting displaced Syrians and Palestinians who have found refuge in Jordan over recent decades.
Meghan Markle visibly moved after meeting injured Palestinians in hospital
|PA
The couple travelled to Jordan at the invitation of the World Health Organisation, with WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus greeting them warmly outside the organisation's Amman office.
Dr Tedros embraced both Harry and Meghan, who was dressed in a white Veronica Beard jacket and matching trousers, with hugs and kisses upon their arrival.
Earlier in the day, the Sussexes participated in a roundtable discussion bringing together senior representatives from multiple UN bodies, including Unwra, Unhcr, the World Food Programme and Unicef, alongside diplomats from nations such as the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Canada.
British Ambassador to Jordan Philip Hall expressed gratitude for their presence: "Your visit, your support, your appreciation of the efforts that the United Nations, including, of course, the World Health Organisation, the government of Jordan and others, are making here is enormously appreciated."
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry met a 14-year-old burn victim called Maria
|PA
Prior to the hospital visit, the couple journeyed north from Amman to the sprawling Za'atari Refugee Camp, home to tens of thousands of displaced Syrians living in semi-permanent accommodation.
At the QuestScope youth centre, Harry and Meghan observed teenage girls performing on traditional Arabic instruments and watched musicians playing violins and guitars in separate classrooms.
The duchess proved competitive during an outdoor football session with young Syrian children, celebrating triumphantly with her arms raised after successfully converting a penalty with a right-footed strike, while Harry's effort was saved by a girl in goal.
During the visit, a seven-year-old girl approached Meghan, who knelt down to speak with her through an interpreter, later remarking: "So sweet, so confident - that's what you're instilling."
Meghan Markle pictured holding Maria's hand in hospital
|PA
The Sussexes' Jordan trip comes at a turbulent moment for the Royal Family, following the arrest of Harry's uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on suspicion of misconduct in a public office last Thursday.
The 66-year-old former Duke of York remains on bail, and Harry has yet to comment publicly on the crisis engulfing his relatives.
Buckingham Palace officials were notified of the couple's Middle Eastern visit in advance, which follows just two weeks after Prince William's diplomatic trip to Saudi Arabia.
Since relocating to California in 2020 after stepping back from their roles as working royals, Harry and Meghan have undertaken numerous overseas visits resembling the official engagements they once carried out as senior members of the monarchy.
The Sussexes' Jordan trip comes at a turbulent moment for the Royal Family
|PA
Jordan holds particular significance for Prince William and Catherine, who attended the 2023 royal wedding of Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II as surprise guests and holidayed there with their children in 2021.
The Princess of Wales spent part of her childhood in Amman when her family lived there during the mid-1980s, while Queen Rania serves on the judging panel for William's Earthshot Prize.
Meghan is reportedly contemplating her first return to Britain since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022, potentially attending the Invictus Games one-year countdown event in Birmingham on 10 July, subject to satisfactory security arrangements.
The couple's children, six-year-old Prince Archie and four-year-old Princess Lilibet, have not set foot in the UK since the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.