Meghan gives a special hug to Red Sox superstar ‘Mookie’ Betts when he tells her: ‘We’re kin!’

As Buckingham Palace finally announced the date of Archie’s christening, a hug between Meghan and Boston Red Sox superstar ‘Mookie’ Betts at a baseball game in London has been explained.

Prince Harry laughs as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex gives a special hug to one Red Sox player. Now we know why. Picture: Peter Nicholls/Pool

It was the hug between British royalty and US sporting royalty in the change rooms of London Stadium that raised eyebrows around the world.

Why did Meghan, Duchess of Sussex single out Boston Red Sox superstar baseball player “Mookie” Betts for a special cuddle when she and Prince Harry visited the team before their historic London showdown against the New York Yankees?

Royal watchers were stunned when Meghan gave Mookie Betts such a warm hug, but now we know why. Picture: Peter Nicholls/Pool

Now the truth has been revealed: Meghan hugged Betts after he told her they were in fact distant relatives, the Boston Globe reports.

“I didn’t know she was coming. I knew Prince Harry was coming,” Betts said. “I told her about the story and she laughed and gave me a hug. She didn’t know about it. They probably didn’t believe it.

Meghan and Harry with the Red Sox. Picture: Chris Jackson/Invictus Games Foundation

“It’s pretty cool it happened. I didn’t think I’d ever meet her, but I did.”

While Meghan is one of the most famous women in the world, Betts is no slouch — in 2018, he became the first player in Major League history to win the Most Valuable Player, Silver Slugger, Golden Glove, batting title, and World Series in the same season.

According to The Globe, amateur Massachusetts genealogist Jim McNiff discovered the link between Betts and Meghan when she was still engaged to Prince Harry.

Meghan was delighted that the Yankees had a special shirt made up for her baby, saying ‘Archie 19’. Picture: Peter Nicholls/Pool

The link was traced back to ancestors 150 years ago in Alabama and they were also connected through a 1920 marriage between Betts’s great uncle and Meghan’s great-great aunt.

Sadly, the hug didn’t do the Red Sox much good. They lost 17-13 to the Yankees.

Mookie Betts hits out the Toronto Blue Jays, in Canada this week. Picture: Mark Blinch

Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has announced that Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will be christened in a small private ceremony at Windsor Castle on Saturday.

The ceremony will be conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in the castle’s Private Chapel.

Harry and Meghan were looking forward to sharing some images taken on the day by photographer Chris Allerton, the palace added in a statement.

“The godparents … will remain private,” it added.

Harry and Meghan married at the castle to the West of London last year and Archie, who is seventh in line to the throne, was born in May.