Category News
Duchess Meghan Defends Paid-Leave Lobbying: “I Will Always Stand Up for What’s Right”
The Duchess of Sussex is standing up for what’s right. Meghan joined the New York Times DealBook Online Summit for a conversation focused on how women can reach economic and professional parity. The Archewell Foundation cofounder opened up about her business experience, as well as her recent efforts campaigning for paid family leave, which saw her reach out to senators and Congress.
Though her efforts contributed to paid family leave being added back into President Joe Biden’s signature Build Back Better legislation, her activism came under scrutiny by sections of the press as commentators and palace aides claimed it clashed with the royal family’s policy of not getting involved in politics. But speaking to host and New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin, the duchess said the issue is far from political.
“I don’t see this as a political issue, frankly,” she said during the Minding the Gap session, where she appeared alongside co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments Mellody Hobson. “Look, there’s certainly a precedent amongst my husband’s family and the royal family of not having any involvement in politics, but paid leave, from my standpoint, is a humanitarian issue.” Continue reading Duchess Meghan Defends Paid-Leave Lobbying: “I Will Always Stand Up for What’s Right”
Meghan Markle Made a Rare Appearance in a Button-Down and Jeans to Read The Bench
Meghan spoke about how Harry and their son Archie inspired the book in the video. “I wrote this as a poem for my husband and our son, Archie, and then turned it into a book so you can enjoy it too,” she said.
Before she began reading, she also touched on why the illustrations in the book—by Christian Robinson—are so special. “I asked him to do something special for me and use watercolors, which isn’t the usual medium he works in, but he did it to make this extra special,” she said. “I hope you love the pictures as much as you love the words.”
Watch her read the story below:
Meghan released The Bench on June 8. She spoke on NPR about how she purposely made sure every family was represented in the illustrations. “Growing up, I remember so much how it felt to not see yourself represented,” Meghan said. “Any child or any family hopefully can open this book and see themselves in it, whether that means glasses or freckled or a different body shape or a different ethnicity or religion.”
Archie loves The Bench, Meghan added: “[He] has a voracious appetite for books. Archie loves the book! Now the fact that he loves The Bench, and I can say, ‘Mommy wrote this for you’ feels amazing.”
Source: https://www.elle.com/
Harry and Meghan Get into Finance
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are getting into the investment business. They are joining Ethic, a fintech asset manager in the fast-growing environmental, social and governance space, as “impact partners” and investors. Ethic has $1.3 billion under management and creates separately managed accounts to invest in social responsibility themes.
The couple could attract more attention to sustainable investing. Harry and Meghan can make E.S.G. investing part of pop culture in a way that, say, BlackRock’s Larry Fink can’t. “From the world I come from, you don’t talk about investing, right?” Meghan told DealBook in a joint interview with Harry. “You don’t have the luxury to invest. That sounds so fancy.”
“My husband has been saying for years, ‘Gosh, don’t you wish there was a place where if your values were aligned like this, you could put your money to that same sort of thing?’” Meghan said. They were introduced to Ethic by friends, she said.
Harry and Meghan said they hoped that their involvement would help democratize investing, making people — especially younger people — more deliberate in their choices and conscious of investing in sustainable companies. “You already have the younger generation voting with their dollars and their pounds, you know, all over the world when it comes to brands they select and choose from,” Harry said, suggesting it was a natural extension to do the same with investments.
The move is the couple’s latest corporate partnership since relocating to the U.S. Harry and Meghan moved to Los Angeles last year and later gave up official royal family duties. Seeking financial independence, they have signed production deals with Netflix and Spotify. Harry also recently produced a documentary series about mental health for Apple TV+ in connection with Oprah Winfrey and is writing a memoir.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/
September 23 – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit One World Observatory
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are taking a bite out of the Big Apple! The couple kicked off their cross-country trip to New York City on Thursday with a visit to One World Observatory at the World Trade Center with Mayor Bill de Blasio, the mayor’s wife Chirlane McCray, their son Dante de Blasio and Governor Kathy Hochel.
They both dressed in black for the occasion: Meghan sported a black turtleneck with matches trousers under a jacket with her hair pulled back into her signature low bun, while Harry sported a classic suit and tie. While posing for a group photo, Meghan was asked about her return to New York. “It’s wonderful to be back, thank you,” she replied.
Meghan, 40, and Prince Harry, 37, announced earlier this week that they were heading to New York for Saturday’s Global Citizen Live from Central Park “to continue their urgent work with world leaders in the pursuit of global vaccine equity to end the COVID-19 pandemic for everyone, everywhere,” according to Global Citizen. The duo previously served as Campaign Chairs of Global Citizen’s VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, where Prince Harry gave an impassioned speech about the importance of vaccine equity.
New York City is a special place for Meghan. It’s where she reunited with friends — including Serena Williams, Amal Clooney, Gayle King and Jessica Mulroney — in February 2019 for a baby shower ahead of the birth of son Archie.
Meghan also returned to the Big Apple in September 2019 to support Williams in the US Open final.
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Post royal life engagements (2021) Visiting One World Observatory in NYC