Meghan Markle hands out signed Polaroids to young patients at children’s hospital in Los Angeles – and encourages them to ‘shake’ film

Meghan Markle handed out signed Polaroids to young people during her visit to a children’s hospital in Los Angeles, recently released video shows.

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, smiled warmly as she chatted to young patients and explained how the retro camera printing process works – when she made an appearance on March 21 – in clips shared by Additional television on X.

At one point she was heard telling a girl that “the nice thing about” the image is that it was still developing as they watched it – and encouraging a boy to shake the film.

The mother of two held a Sharpie – ready to sign the photos – and leaned over to talk to the children, giving many of them hugs.

During a royal visit in California, photos saw Meghan lead a ‘Literally Healing’ session.

The former Suits star showed off her acting skills while reading to children.

In photos of the visit released Tuesday, shared online by the hospital, via ExtraTVMeghan greeted the group of children as they met to hear her read the stories, including Rosie Revere, Engineer, who she labeled “one of her favorites.”

Meghan’s acting roots clearly paid off as she gestured and changed the sound of her voice to add more to the characters’ quotes.

The Duchess was effortlessly stylish in a floral ensemble. Adding a touch of spring cheer to her outfit, she wore a chic floral Oscar De La Renta silk-chiffon shirt dress by Oscar De La Renta, featuring long cuffed sleeves and a sash belt.

The outing marked Meghan’s second time donning the garment, having previously worn the dress in photos featured in the Sussexes’ 2022 Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.

For her recent engagement, she paired the outfit with a classic pair of £595 ($747) ‘Love Affair’ black pumps with a delicate strap from Italian brand Aquazzura – an item Meghan has worn on numerous occasions.

Meghan wore her glossy brunette locks down and kept her makeup simple and understated to complement her vibrant ensemble.

A touch of rosy pink blusher and a touch of eyeliner across her lids were enough to accentuate the mother of two’s complexion.

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, smiled warmly as she chatted to young patients and explained how the retro camera printing process works – when she made an appearance on March 21

During a royal visit in California, photos saw the Duchess of Sussex leading a ‘Literally Healing’ session

The Duchess added a pair of simple yet elegant chunky gold hoop earrings to her outfit.

Meghan, who is married to Prince Harry, has not returned to Britain since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022.

The Duchess of Sussex did not return for King Charles’ coronation in May 2023, which her husband attended alone.

Harry and Meghan moved to California in June 2020, saying they wanted space to raise their first child Archie. Their daughter Lilibet was born in 2021.

A statement about Meghan’s visit to the children’s hospital read: “Children laughed and sang as The Duchess became a character on every page as she read patients’ favorite books such as Rosie the Riveter, Pete the Cat and I Saw a Cat.”

The mother of two held a Sharpie – ready to sign the photos – and leaned in to talk to the kids, giving many of them hugs

Meghan’s acting roots clearly paid off as she gestured and changed the sound of her voice to add more to the characters’ quotes

It is also not the first time that the Duchess has contacted children through stories; she has written a children’s book, The Bench, and to mark Archie’s first birthday in May 2020, the mother and son appeared in a clip playing Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.

During her visit in March, Meghan also shared hugs with the children and staff and took photos with them.

“Aiming for literacy development and fun, the mother of two also helped with STEAM activities linked to each book, which helped patients learn counting, coloring, problem solving and more,” a statement added.

The Duchess is a children’s author after publishing The Bench, a story inspired by Archie’s relationship with his father, Prince Harry.

“The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born,” Meghan said in the press release from publisher Random House Children’s Books. ‘That poem became this story.’

The book was dedicated by Meghan to Harry and Archie: ‘For the man and the boy who make my heart beat faster’, was the dedication.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ Literally Healing is a reading program that donates more than 65,000 books annually to families at the hospital.

Meghan’s story time was part of the Make March Matter campaign, an annual fundraiser at the hospital that aims to create hope and build a healthier future with the help of “celebrities, businesses and the greater community.”

Since 2016, the campaign has raised more than $10 million for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Meghan is not the first celebrity to visit the hospital to support patients. Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jake Gyllenhaal will provide kids with a special advanced screening of Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019.