Watch Meghan Markle Surprise A Filipino Fan By Speaking Their Language: 'Salamat Po'
Months before Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's fiancée, will become an official royalty, she already wowed Filipinos.
A viral video circulating, uploaded by Facebook user Jenny Ulay, showed Markle greeting and meeting the people awaiting her during her public appearance in Edinburgh, Scotland. The actress shook hands with the people and took her time to get to know them even for a short amount of time.
When it was the turn of the one who shot the video, they introduced themselves and revealed to Markle that it was indeed their wedding anniversary. She greeted them and upon knowing that they were from the Philippines, she let off a "Salamat po (Thank you)" to the them, much to the amazement of the Filipinos who gushed over what they just heard.
"Oh my goodness, so sweet!" the Filipino said in camera after the encounter.
Fond of PH
Obviously, the 36-year-old former Suits actress did not have to study hard about Philippine culture before the visit, as she had some background when it comes to Filipinos long before she even met Prince Harry. Markle had been vocal when it comes to her fondness of the culture, evident on The Tig, her now-deleted blog.
In the blog, she wrote about how the Filipino culture had spoken much about her childhood. Markle grew up in Los Angeles, where many Asians reside.
"Growing up in LA, with its melting pot of vast and varied cultures, I was no stranger to the Filipino community," Markle said in an interview.
A trademark Filipino dish, Adobo, was included in her list of 10 dishes written for The Today Show.
Impressing Cultures
Additionally, it is not hard for Markle to impress people. Her simple use of the phrase had been lauded, especially that someone as prominent as her would speak it casually. More importantly, she used "po," which had no equivalent word in English but meant so much in Tagalog.
"Po" is used when conversing with or answering to older people, and the mere fact that Markle had used the term already earned some nods from the Filipino community abroad and in the Philippines.
"That was nice of her! Love ko Na siya! (I already love her!)," Facebook user Gloria O. Roca said, while another one said it made her feel more proud.
Meanwhile, the video had gone viral at the same time when the soon-to-be husband and wife received a racist letter with a white powder purported to be anthrax. However, the letter did not reach Markle and Prince Harry, as this had been checked at the St. James's Palace before it will be delivered to Nottingham Cottage, their residence.
