The ladies were all smiles together. Meghan Markle and Duchess Kate, together at last. Prince Harry’s new American fiancée joined him, along with Prince…
The ladies were all smiles together.
Meghan Markle and Duchess Kate, together at last.
Prince Harry’s new American fiancée joined him, along with Prince William and Duchess Kate, for the foursome’s first joint engagement together at the Royal Foundation’s inaugural forum Wednesday.
The forum was the first time Markle has been photographed with Duchess Kate and Princes Harry and William, following their joint appearance on Christmas Day when she joined the royal family for their traditional church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England.
Kate wore a periwinkle blue dress by Seraphine for the occasion, while Markle paired a navy blue Jason Wu wrap dress with pumps.
In between the young royals speaking about their personal causes at the philanthropy-focused event, Markle spoke up in support of movements like Me Too and Time’s Up.
Markle, 36, is a former actress (Suits) with years of experience in Hollywood, including a first marriage to a producer, but she has not publicly discussed whether she was subjected to sexual misconduct. And as a member of the royal family, she would be unlikely to do so in the future.
“Women don’t need to find a voice,“ Markle said at the forum, according to British media reports. “They have a voice. They need to feel empowered to use it, and people need to be encouraged to listen.”
“We’re seeing so many campaigns, Me Too and Time’s Up,“ she continued. „There is no better time than to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them, men included in that. It makes such a tremendous difference.”
The three young royals each delivered brief remarks at the forum, including Prince Harry, 33, who proudly introduced his soon-to-be-royal fiancée, according to a palace transcript of his speech.
In her prior life, Markle was involved in humanitarian work, especially in Africa. As a royal, her future job description will include a major emphasis on such charity work and patronages of good causes.
„I am personally incredibly proud and excited that my soon-to-be wife, who is equally passionate about seeing positive change in the world, will soon be joining us with this (charity) work,“ he said. „Because the work is plentiful, but it has also proven to be impactful.“
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The Royal Foundation was established to help Princes William and Harry advance their philanthropic projects, with Duchess Kate being added as a patron after her wedding. Markle will become the foundation’s fourth patron after her marriage to Harry in May 2018, and teased her coming projects in the months ahead.
„I’ve just been here for three months, but it’s very important to hit the ground running,“ she said. „Even if it’s quietly behind the scenes, which is what I’ve focused my energy on thus far, it’s meeting with the right people and the right organisations and learning as much as I can so I can maximise the opportunity we have here to really make an impact.“
In other royal wedding news, the Spice Girls‘ Mel B teased that she’s attending the nuptuals scheduled for May 19, fueling speculation that the girl group may reunite for the event.
Related: Mel B says she’s going to the royal wedding, hints Spice Girls may perform
