Prince Edward has been celebrated as a “very good hugger” after exchanging a heartwarming moment with a royal fan.
The Duke of Edinburgh agreed to an unexpected request for a hug while visiting Prince Edward Island in Canada.
Edward’s seven-day visit to the Commonwealth nation includes visits to Toronto and Ottawa.
His visit came just a month after his elder brother, King Charles, embarked on a landmark trip to oversee the opening of the country's parliament.
While speaking with members of the public in Charlottetown, the Duke met local resident Barbara Bernard.
Prince Edward has been called a 'very good hugger' after sharing one with a royal fan while in Canada
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“He came over and he was talking and the gesture of his hands went like this,” Bernard said recalling the moment.
She then mimicked Edward’s gesture, with palms up and hands extended outwards, which she reckoned: “Of course represented a hug.”
“And of course I said: ‘Is that for me?’”
She told the CBC that Edward then put his hands at his sides before quickly making the same gesture.
The Duke ended up embracing Barbara Bernard after she offered him a hug
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Barbara then asked: “Do you want a hug?”
“And then he goes ‘ok!’... so, I got to hug him,” she remembered with a beaming grin.
The moment charmed other royal fans on social media, with one exclaiming on X: "That's so sweet!"
"How really cute! Nice she got to hug him, he really seems like a warm, charming guy after all so why not," another agreed.
Prince Edward has been in Canada, visiting both Ottawa and Toronto
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The Duke of Edinburgh has now arrived in Toronto for the second leg of his Canadian tour. He visited the Toronto Police Marine Unit on Monday morning before touring HMCS York.
Prince Edward travelled to the city following his engagements in Prince Edward Island, where he commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Prince Edward Island Regiment. The Duke serves as colonel-in-chief of the regiment.
His Toronto visit marks another stop in what has become the second royal tour of Canada in recent weeks.
King Charles III visited Ottawa in May to deliver the throne speech, the first monarch to do so on Canadian soil since Queen Elizabeth II in 1977.
The Duke is scheduled to travel to Ottawa on Tuesday to participate in Canada Day celebrations.
This marks a significant milestone as his first major solo overseas tour since inheriting the Duke of Edinburgh title last year.
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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh did not accompany her husband on his trip to the Commonwealth nation
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The 61-year-old royal began his seven-day Canadian visit on June 26 without Duchess Sophie, who has remained in the UK.
The couple were last seen together at Royal Ascot earlier this month.
Prince Edward's itinerary includes visits to Nova Scotia and other provinces before his return to the UK on July 2.
He is expected to attend community events, meet young people and promote educational and charitable initiatives throughout his tour.
The Duke's schedule in Prince Edward Island included participation in the Atlantic Canada Education Forum at the Shaw Building and a luncheon for young people hosted by the Lieutenant Governor at Government House. He also visited Abegweit First Nation at Scotchfort before.
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