Before leaving Tonga to return to Australia on Friday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got the chance to to meet the Polynesian nation’s biggest viral star.
While attending an official reception and dinner featuring traditional Tongan entertainment at the Consular House on Thursday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were introduced to Pita Taufatofua, the famously oiled-up Tongan flag bearer who became a viral sensation during the 2016 Summer Olympics and then returned to compete in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.
“The reception started with Harry and Meghan taking a long time to meet and greet every single person there,” Taufatofua told Cosmopolitan. “That really stood out as something special, that both of them not only met, but also spoke to a lot of guests.”
Taufatofua went on to reveal that Prince Harry even cracked a joke about his signature shirtless Olympic opening ceremony appearance. “We had a laugh about the oil,” he said. “It was all in good fun!”
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Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com