Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Snub 'Free Hugs' From Kids During Tonga Tour

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry snubbed two kids who offered free hugs.

On Thursday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at Tonga and were scheduled to meet the prime minister. Prince Harry and Markle dropped by the St. George Building in the country's capital Nuku'alofa to meet Akilisi Pohiva and the members of the cabinet.

The couple was welcomed by over 50 civil servants who were dressed in red and black shirts. Two children were photographed holding a paper that read: "Free Hugs." Prince Harry and Markle saw the sign and just smiled and wave. They didn't stop to hug the kids.

In another shot, the little boy was photographed lying down on the floor after the rejection. Prince Harry described the entertainment at an official welcome reception to be "very good" when they met the Tongan prime minister. The remainder of the meeting was held in private.

Markle is fond of giving hugs, so many were surprised that she didn't give in to the kids' request. In fact, she has broken this royal protocol multiple times already. During the couple's visit to Scotland, Markle gave charity co-founder Alice Thompson a hug instead of a handshake.

"It was at the end when I went in for a handshake with Meghan and she just embraced me," Thompson recalled. "They were both so genuine - showing the kind of interest and good nature you can't fake."

Earlier this year, Markle broke the royal protocol again when she hugged a 10-year-old girl during a visit to Birmingham to celebrate International Women's Day.

"Meghan told me that I can achieve whatever I want to achieve. And Meghan said she would like to see me on TV when I become an actress," Sophie Richards said about her encounter with the Duchess of Sussex. "It was a dream come true. I will never forget this day."

In related news, according to Princess Diana's former bodyguard Ken Wharfe, the security service during Prince Harry and Markle's visit to Fiji wasn't tight. In fact, when the pregnant royal visited the busy Fiji street market, they had to rush Markle away from the crowd after only six minutes because there were too many people than they anticipated.