Culture September 24, 2018

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle show their athletic sides at Coach Core Awards

Eddie Mulholland/Pool via Reuters
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Britain's Prince Harry take part in a sports demonstration with Coach Core apprentices at Loughborough University in Loughborough, Britain, Sept. 24, 2018.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle showed their athletic skills Monday at the Coach Core Awards, where they recognized young people training to be sports coaches.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, ditched sneakers and wore stiletto heels along with a navy asymmetrical jacket by Oscar Delta Renta and pants by Altuzarra.

Eddie Mulholland/Pool via Reuters
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Britain's Prince Harry take part in a sports demonstration with Coach Core apprentices at Loughborough University in Loughborough, Britain, Sept. 24, 2018.

She went head to head with her new husband, the Duke of Sussex, in a netball competition. The couple split up and joined opposing teams, with Harry winning.

Harry's brother, Prince William, and his wife, Princess Kate, have had a series of friendly competitions over the years during royal engagements and it appears Meghan and Harry are equally competitive.

Meghan proved to be a good sport, going on to discuss Harry's devotion to Coach Core, which was established in 2012 by the Royal Foundation to empower young people through sports, particularly at-risk teenagers who may need job skills.

Eddie Mulholland/Pool via Reuters
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Britain's Prince Harry take part in a sports demonstration with Coach Core apprentices at Loughborough University in Loughborough, Britain, Sept. 24, 2018.

"My husband has devoted so many years to Coach Core and in the past year of my being in the U.K., to be able to see not just the impact but the incredible inspiration and sense of purpose that this instills in people is astounding," Meghan said.

The Coach Core program trains hundreds of young people as apprentices and provides them with sports tuition, wages and the resources to become coaches in the future. Harry and Meghan met Monday with apprentices at Loughborough University in central England before presenting awards to recognize outstanding achievements in mentoring.

Rupert Hartley/REX via Shutterstock
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex joins Prince Harry during Coach Core apprentices at Loughborough University in Loughborough, Britain, Sept. 24, 2018.

Coach Core seeks to empower young people through sports and training, hoping they will use their skills to help others in similar circumstances.

Harry, who, with Meghan, is a role model for young people, spoke to the apprentices Monday about being role models for the athletes they coach.

"Being a coach isn't just about helping an individual get active, or training the next person who's going to become a world record holder," Harry said. "It's so much bigger than that. It's about being a role model. It's about being professional, relatable and inspiring."

Meghan and Harry have a busy schedule of events before embarking next month on their Commonwealth tour to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga.

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Last week, the Duchess of Sussex launched a cookbook collaborating with female survivors of the Grenfell Fire at an event attended by her mother, Doria Ragland, and Prince Harry. The cookbook marked Meghan's first solo project since joining the royal family in May.