What to Expect from Meghan Markle’s First Overseas Royal Trip

The last time Meghan Markle was in Dublin, where she’ll return for a two-day tour alongside Prince Harry this week, was four years ago. She was a successful actress at the time with a role on Suits as well as a counselor for One Young World, an international organization committed to helping young people, Meghan spoke passionately to thousands of young people gathered for the charity forum about the importance of gender equality in the workplace.

One Young World managing director Ella Robertson remembers Meghan as someone who lit up the room. “She was impressive to listen to, she was passionate about gender equality and women’s rights, and she was determined to bring about change in the TV industry.” Fast-forward to today, when Meghan will return to the city of which she once said she wanted to see more as a new member of the royal family. Now the Duchess of Sussex, her values and principles remain the same. Meghan proudly describes herself as a feminist on the royal family’s Web site, and the couple’s scheduled meeting with female tech entrepreneurs on the second day of their tour reflects one of her key interests. The royal couple’s meetings with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and President of Ireland Michael Higgins are an indication of just how much influence they potentially have as a couple, and their sensitive roles in promoting Britain overseas as the country prepares to leave the E.U.

This, their first official overseas trip, will be a litmus test for the future. The Queen, who has taken a close interest in Meghan and invited her to Chester for an away day last month, will no doubt be watching the visit closely.
While the tour, at the request of the British Foreign Office, is snack size compared to the eight-day trip to Canada William and Kate did just weeks after their wedding, it will be an invaluable practice run for the couple’s forthcoming Commonwealth tour later this year. The Sussexes are traveling with a substantial entourage of 11, but compared to Meghan’s first away day with Her Majesty, the trip is expected to be more relaxed. Courtiers said the couple is looking forward to meeting members of the public and learning about Ireland’s rich history through visiting organizations that are “central to Irish life.” Meghan will also return to Croke Park, where she attended the One Young World summit back in 2014. It is the home of Ireland’s largest sporting organization, and the couple will see a Gaelic sports festival and have the chance to see artifacts from the Bloody Sunday massacre at the park’s museum which they will visit on Wednesday. The itinerary will see the Sussexes cram multiple engagements into their two-day tour, which starts Tuesday evening and includes a summer party at the British Ambassador’s residence where Harry will deliver a speech.

On Wednesday, the couple will meet President Higgins before viewing the historic Book of Kells, housed in the Long Room of the Old Library at Trinity College alongside the oldest harp in Ireland and 200,000 rare books. They will also visit the Famine Memorial on the bank of the River Liffey to learn more about Ireland’s 19th-century famine before heading to the EPIC museum to learn about the country’s 10 million emigrants. Their last engagement will be a visit to Dogpatch Labs, a co-working space for start-up companies where they will talk to female tech entrepreneurs and take part in a coding workshop.

The newly married Sussexes have wasted no time getting down to work. After attending a garden party days after their May wedding, they joined the Queen for last month’s Queen’s Young Leaders Awards and last week they attended a Commonwealth Youth Challenge reception at London’s Marlborough House. On Tuesday, hours before their departure for Dublin, they joined Her Majesty as well as William and Kate for the RAF’s historic 100th-anniversary celebrations.

Source: https://www.vanityfair.com/

Who Is Meghan?

The Duchess of Sussex, born Meghan Markle, married Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor in May 2018. The couple’s official residence is Kensington Palace. As well as undertaking royal duties in support of The Queen, both in the UK and overseas, The Duchess devotes her time to supporting a number of charities and organisations. From a young age, The Duchess had a keen awareness of social issues and actively participated in charitable work. Aged 11 she successfully campaigned for a company to alter their television advert that had used sexist language to sell washing-up liquid. Her Royal Highness also volunteered at a soup kitchen in Skid Row, Los Angeles from the age of 13-17. She continued to volunteer at the soup kitchen when she would return home to Los Angeles until the age of 22….Continue Reading…

Charities & Patronages

The Royal Foundation
Since: May 2018 – June 2019
The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry is the Patrons’ primary charitable vehicle, and hopes to become a leading philanthropic investor, effectively using its time and resources to create lasting change in targeted areas and geographies, based on need and on the interests of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The Foundation will seek to invest in, or partner with, organisations with proven impact, using its profile and leverage to create a multiplier effect in resources, outcomes and knowledge.
Links: Official Site | Meghan’s Efforts
National Theatre
Since: January 2019
The National Theatre’s mission is to make world-class theatre that is entertaining, challenging and inspiring. And to make it for everyone. They aim to reach the widest possible audience, to be inclusive and diverse, and as national as possible. With a broad range of productions in London and across the UK. The National puts some of the nation’s leading artists on the world stage, with productions playing on Broadway and touring across the globe.
Links: Official Site | Meghan’s Efforts
The Association of Commonwealth Universities
Since: January 2019
The Association of Commonwealth Universities is the world’s first international university network, and is the only accredited organisation representing higher education across the Commonwealth. The ACU manages international scholarship schemes (including the UK government’s three major scholarship programmes and The Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships), convene universities to address key policy challenges such as gender and equity, climate resilience, and peace and reconciliation, and promote the role of universities in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Links: Official Site | Meghan’s Efforts
Smart Works
Since: January 2019
Smart Works is a UK charity that provides high quality interview clothes and interview training to unemployed women in need. Women are referred to Smart Works from organisations such as job centres, work programmes, prisons, care homes, homeless shelters and mental health charities.
Links: Official Site | Meghan’s Efforts
Mayhew
Since: January 2019
Funded entirely by public donations Mayhew aims to promote animal welfare by delivering a broad range of community-based veterinary, care and education services in the UK and overseas. By recognizing that animal welfare issues and social welfare issues are linked Mayhew works to protect the bond vulnerable people, the elderly, the homeless and those suffering from mental health issues have with their animals. And by taking their educational initiatives out to the community they have a better chance of helping prevent cases of neglect, abandonment and cruelty.
Links: Official Site | Meghan’s Efforts
The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust
Since: March 2019
The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust exists to champion, fund and connect young leaders around the world who are driving positive social change, serving their communities and providing hope, work and self-employment opportunities for others. As Vice-President of the Trust Meghan will highlight the Trust’s partnerships with young people across the Commonwealth, and in particular its work supporting women and girls.
Links: Official Site | Meghan’s Efforts

Projects

‘Together: Our Community Kitchen’ Cookbook
After working with the women of Hubb Community Kitchen The Duchess of Sussex suggested the idea of a charity cookbook that celebrates the power of cooking to bring people together. Supported by The Royal Foundation and published by Penguin Random House companies, ‘Together: Our Community Kitchen’ showcases over 50 recipes from women whose community was affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. Since the Together cookbook has been published, it has sold 130,000 copies worldwide. The resulting funds means the kitchen has been completely refurbished and is now open seven days a week

Smart Works Charity Capsule Collection
After working quietly with Smart Works for over a year The Duchess became aware of the difficulty of matching up the perfect work attire due to a range of mismatched colors and sizing. It was revealed in July 2019 that Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw, and designer Misha Nonoo would team up together to design a capsule collection of work wear clothing for the underprivileged women trying to secure employment. They will follow the “one-for-one model” model where an item from the collection purchased is an item donated to the Smart Works Charity.

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