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The Losses We Share

It was a July morning that began as ordinarily as any other day: Make breakfast. Feed the dogs. Take vitamins. Find that missing sock. Pick up the rogue crayon that rolled under the table. Throw my hair in a ponytail before getting my son from his crib.

After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right.

I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.

Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal.

I recalled a moment last year when Harry and I were finishing up a long tour in South Africa. I was exhausted. I was breastfeeding our infant son, and I was trying to keep a brave face in the very public eye.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Marked Remembrance Sunday in Los Angeles

On sunday morning, working members of the royal family gathered at the Cenotaph in London to pay tribute to Britain’s war dead on Remembrance Sunday. As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from royal life earlier this year and moved to North America, they were not at the event, but they still found their own way to honor the occasion in their new home state of California.

Harry and Meghan privately visited the Los Angeles National Cemetery, where they left flowers on the gravesites of two commonwealth soldiers, and placed a wreath at a memorial obelisk.

Harry and Meghan laid flowers on the gravesites of two commonwealth solders: one who had served in the Royal Australian Air Force, and another who had served in the Royal Canadian Artillery. Meghan had picked the blooms from their garden.

“It was important to the Duke and Duchess to be able to personally recognise Remembrance in their own way, to pay tribute to those who have served and to those who gave their lives,” a source tells Town & Country.

Earlier this week, Prince Harry appeared on the military podcast Declassified, where he reflected on the meaning of remembrance, describing it as “how we preserve the legacies of entire generations and show our gratitude for the sacrifices they made in order for us to be able to live the lives we live today.”

He left a wreath in front of an obelisk at the ceremony featuring the inscription: “In Memory of the Men Who Offered Their Lives in Defense of Their Country.”

Harry also left a message with the wreath, which read: “To all of those who have served, and are serving. Thank you.”

When Prince Harry stepped back from his royal duties, he had to give up his honorary military appointments. Per the Sunday Times, Harry asked for a wreath to be laid on his behalf at the Cenotaph in London today, but “was denied by courtiers on the grounds that he is no longer representing the monarchy.” The paper also reports that the Queen “was not made aware of her grandson’s wish.”

Source: https://www.townandcountrymag.com

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new website unveiled

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have launched a new website for their Archewell organisation, inviting readers to sign up for updates.

Prince Harry and Meghan’s philanthropic body has been up and running for some months, HELLO! understands, but a landing page for its website only went live Tuesday.

On a neutral taupe background, the dictionary definitions for the words Arche and Well are laid out, hinting at what the couple have planned for their not-for-profit foundation.

t reads: “Arche…Greek word meaning ‘source of action’. Well… a plentiful source or supply; a place we go to dig deep.”

The site also offers an option to tick to receive emails about Archewell’s activities and initiatives, and gives a Beverly Hills postal address as well as an email address for contact.

The Duke and Duchess, who have been living in California since March this year, filed paperwork to register the organisation the same month.

They said in a statement at the time: “Before SussexRoyal, came the idea of ‘Arche’ – the Greek word meaning ‘source of action’.

“We connected to this concept for the charitable organisation we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son’s name. To do something of meaning, to do something that matters.

“Archewell is a name that combines an ancient word for strength and action, and another that evokes the deep resources we each must draw upon. We look forward to launching Archewell when the time is right.”

The new website went live on Tuesday to coincide with Harry and Meghan’s special edition of TIME100 Talks, which the couple hosted from their Santa Barbara home on Tuesday.

They and their invited speakers discussed how the internet affects critical issues such as racial justice, gender equity, climate change and mental health and how to make the digital community a safer space.

Source: https://www.hellomagazine.com

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Host ‘Time 100’ Conversation

The Duke and Duchess will make opening and closing remarks, lead some of the conversations with guests, and will also join Time CEO and editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal for a conversation about creating safe and healthy online communities.
Time magazine says that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will host a special Time100 Talks virtual event.

Harry and Meghan will make opening and closing remarks, lead some of the conversations with guests, and will also join Time CEO and editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal for a conversation about creating safe and healthy online communities. Time says that the Duke and Duchess were involved in creating the theme and topics, and curating the guest list for the event.

The event, set for Oct. 20, is called “Engineering a Better World” and will include Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Rappler CEO and editor Maria Ressa and Center for Humane Technology president Tristan Harris, among others.

The Time 100 has been published annually since 2004, and highlights many of the most influential people in the arts, politics, and business. Last year the magazine, now owned by Salesforce founder Marc Benioff and his wife Lynne, announced that it would be expanding the brand to become a year-round staple. Time100 Talks are one of those extensions.

“Since launching in April, Time100 Talks has focused on solutions and visions of a better future through conversations with extraordinary leaders from around the world,” said Felsenthal in a statement. “This special episode marks our first collaboration, and we are thrilled to partner with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex to explore these urgent issues.”

Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to Join Malala Yousafzai for a Virtual Chat for International Day of the Girl

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are teaming up with renowned activist Malala Yousafzai to ring in this year’s International Day of the Girl.

BAZAAR.com can confirm that on October 11, both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will join Yousafzai for a live video chat where the trio will discuss the barriers that currently prevent 130 million girls across the globe from gaining access to an education. The conversation, which will be livestreamed through YouTube and the Malala Fund’s social media channels, will discuss “why it’s essential that we champion every girl’s right to learn.”

Yousafzai has been an outspoken proponent for young women and girls to have the right to a fair education since 2012, when she was involved in a heinous assassination attempt on a bus. Yousafzai’s survival and prompt return to her a fervent activism quickly turned her into international feminist figure with global support of her and her newfound platform. She also went on to become a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 and later operate the Malala Fund which she founded alongside her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai.

The Duchess of Sussex has also been committed to empowering young women and advocating for gender equality. During her time as a working royal, she often centered women’s issues in her work, such as providing women with resources to obtain jobs with her patronage Smartworks, speaking out on the importance of equality with students, and, more recently, celebrating the work of young activists during an empowering virtual address for the Girls Up Leadership Summit.

Source: https://www.harpersbazaar.com

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Meghan Markle Makes Surprise Appearance on AGT Finale to Support a Special Contestant (Named Archie!)

Meghan Markle is showing her support for a special America’s Got Talent contestant.

The Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance on Wednesday’s AGT finale when she filmed a good luck message for one of the show’s finalists: Archie Williams.

“Just wanted to let you know that we’ve been so moved by your story and we’ve been cheering you on every week and it’s not just because we’re partial to the name. So, a very special message to you that I’ll probably be saying all of my life, but on this night it’s specifically for you: Archie, we are proud of you and are rooting for you, we can’t wait to see what you do. We’re in your corner, have a good night,” she said.

Meghan and Prince Harry have been “watching the series and loved him from the moment they first saw him,” a source tells PEOPLE.

Williams, who shares a name with the couple’s 1-year-old son, Archie, has become a standout contestant this season for not only his vocal talents but his powerful life story as well.

The 59-year-old was wrongly convicted of aggravated rape and attempted murder in Louisiana at age 22. At the 12-year mark of his prison sentence, he reached out to the Innocence Project with a request for the organization to exonerate him. Years later, his case was overturned due to the fingerprints found at the scene of the crime matching a serial rapist, and he was released from prison in March 2019 after being incarcerated for more than 36 years.

“I knew I was innocent, I didn’t commit a crime. But being a poor Black kid, I didn’t have the economic ability to fight the state of Louisiana,” he said during his audition.

“Days turned into weeks, into months, into years and into decades. It’s like a nightmare,” he continued.

When asked by host Terry Crews how he persevered, he said, “Freedom is of the mind. I went to prison, but I never let my mind go to prison. When you’re faced with dark times, what I would do was pray and sing. This is how I got peace.”

During his audition, Williams sang an emotional rendition of Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” that brought the judges to tears.


“Archie, I will never, ever listen to that song in the same way ever again,” judge Simon Cowell told him. “It took on a whole new meaning for me. You’re a very courageous person. This is an audition I will never forget for the whole of my life, Archie.”

During the quarterfinals, Williams performed a moving cover of Steve Wonder’s “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” receiving praise from guest judge Kelly Clarkson. In the semifinals, during which he was saved by the judges, he sang Westlife’s “Flying Without Wings.” And on Tuesday’s finals, Williams sang The Beatles classic “Blackbird,” which judge Sofia Vergara called his best performance. “I hear this song differently than I ever did before … like The Beatles wrote this song for you,” judge Heidi Klum said.

Meghan’s appearance on AGT comes just one day after she and Harry made their primetime TV debut to celebrate TIME magazine’s annual list of the world’s most influential people. They used their segment to speak about the importance of voting.

We’re six weeks out from the election, and today is Voter Registration Day,” Meghan said on Tuesday’s ABC special. “Every four years, we’re told, ‘This is the most important election of our lifetime.’ But this one is. When we vote, our values are put into action, and our voices are heard.”

In her remarks, Meghan also encouraged the public to “honor those who gave us courage this year. Like the scientists, researchers and medical professionals who are leading the fight against COVID-19. Or the countless voices who are speaking out with passion and purpose against injustice and inequality and to those silently marching in solidarity, in peaceful protest to stand for what is just and what is right.”

Source: https://people.com

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Meghan Markle Celebrates 1-Year Anniversary of Charity Clothing Line with Special Zoom Call

Meghan Markle is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the release of her capsule clothing collection, which benefitted a charity near and dear to her heart.

Meghan, 39, launched the line last year with her patronage Smart Works, an organization that helps women find employment with coaching tips and professional attire for their job interviews. For every item bought during the limited sale of the collection, another was donated to the U.K. charity, resulting in thousands of donations.

Within the past year, Smart Works has helped over 3,000 clients and 1,000 women have taken pieces from the collection, according to a press release.

In honor of the anniversary of the launch, the Duchess of Sussex sat down for a Zoom call with three clients who had found success thanks to the charity.

“I’ve heard all of your stories and I mean my goodness so much success with all the new job hires you have and just amazing to see what’s happened, especially with what everyone in the world has gone through in the past couple months,” Meghan said.

Reflecting on the importance of the organization, Meghan went on to note that the charity offers so much more than just “the clothes themselves.”

“All of that stuff is the exterior but it’s what it does for you on the inside that ends up being the best accessory,” she explained. “It’s the confidence, it’s what is built within, that is the piece that you walk out of that room with and walk into the interview with that will take you to the next layer of success — and that’s what I love so much about the organization.”

Opening up last year about the inspiration behind the collection, Meghan shared that the pieces were designed based on her firsthand experience of what tended to be missing from donations made to the organization.

“When you walk into a Smart Works space you’re met with racks of clothing and an array of bags and shoes,” Meghan wrote in the September issue of British Vogue, which she guest edited. “Sometimes, however, it can be a potpourri of mismatched sizes and colors, not always the right stylistic choices or range of sizes.”

“To help with this, I asked Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw and my friends, the designer Mischa Nonoo, if they were willing to design a capsule collection of more classic options for a workwear wardrobe,” she added. “Taking the idea further, many of the brands agreed to use the one-for-one model: for each item purchased by a customer, one is donated to the charity. Not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story, it reminds us we are in it together.”

Although no longer using her HRH title, Meghan continues to be a patron of the charity.

Where the site once included a section headed, “Our Royal Patron,” it now reads “The Duchess of Sussex.” Elsewhere, a page is now headlined, “Our Patron, The Duchess of Sussex,” whereas it previously read, “Our Royal Patron HRH The Duchess of Sussex.”

Since stepping away from royal life, Meghan and Prince Harry have since relocated to Santa Barbara, California, with their son Archie.

Source: https://people.com

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Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Ink Netflix Deal

The royal couple, now living in California, have signed a multiyear pact with the streamer.
The duke and duchess of Sussex are Hollywood players now.

Britain’s Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle have signed a multiyear overall deal at Netflix. As reported by The New York Times, the deal will cover scripted and unscripted TV series, documentaries, feature films and kids’ programming.

The deal comes seven months after the couple announced they would “step back” as senior members of the British royal family. Their signing with Netflix echoes the deal made by former President Barack Obama and wife Michelle, whose Higher Ground Productions produced the Oscar-winning documentary American Factory for the streamer.

Shortly after that, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos said he’d be open to working with the duke and duchess: “Who wouldn’t be interested? Yes, sure,” he told the U.K.’s Press Association.

“Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple, have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience and the need for connection,” said the duke and duchess of Sussex. “Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens. We are pleased to work with Ted and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.”

The couple already has projects in development at the streamer, including a nature docuseries and an animated series that will celebrate inspiring women.

“Harry and Meghan have inspired millions of people all around the world with their authenticity, optimism and leadership,” said Sarandos, co-CEO and chief content officer at Netflix. “We’re incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home — and are excited about telling stories with them that can help build resilience and increase understanding for audiences everywhere.”

The duke and duchess will focus on creating programming that resonates with them, including issues that are the focus of their nonprofit foundation, Archewell. They’re also committed to featuring diverse voices in front of and behind the camera and in hiring for their production company, which is staffing up.

Markle was an actress, most notably on USA’s legal drama Suits, before marrying Prince Harry. She has no plans to return to acting, though per the Times, the couple may appear onscreen in documentary projects. Harry is featured in Netflix’s recently released documentary Rising Phoenix, about the Paralympic Games, and joined with Oprah Winfrey to produce a docuseries on mental health for Apple TV+.

Following their January announcement that they would step down as senior royals, the duke and duchess entered into negotiations with the royal family under which Queen Elizabeth II gave them leave in exchange for the couple not using the titles His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness and to give up public funding. The latter stipulation set off a wave of speculation about how they would support themselves, including potentially entering the entertainment industry.

Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/

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Duchess Meghan interviews Gloria Steinem in casual backyard chat; pups Guy and Pula join in

Duchess Meghan sat down for a backyard conversation with her new friend, Gloria Steinem, about women’s rights and voting as the newly returned American royal moved deeper into a politically and socially active lifestyle.

And we got to see her dogs, too: Guy the beagle and Pula the black Labrador, who trotted into the shot, sat down at her feet and could be heard panting loudly on the video clip posted on Twitter.

The black-and-white video of the meeting showed Meghan and Steinem sitting across a table from each other outdoors and socially distanced. It is not clear when the encounter took place.

“Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and @GloriaSteinem discuss representation, why each vote matters and how all women ‘are linked, not ranked.’ MAKERS has an exclusive look at that historic backyard chat!,” the tweet read.

“Meg, welcome home, I’m so glad that you’re home,” Steinem, 86, tells her.

“Me, too, for so many reasons,” Meghan, 39, responds.

The video was posted by Makers, a Yahoo-hosted site, described on its Twitter account as dedicated to “accelerating the women’s movement through stories of real-life experiences that ignite passion and action.”

In other words, right up Meghan’s current alley now that she and Prince Harry and baby Archie, 1, have left behind the United Kingdom and constrained royal life and moved to Southern California in search of privacy and financial independence.

For Meghan, that has meant being able to speak out about issues such as voting rights, women’s rights and women’s empowerment, which would have been more difficult in the U.K. under traditions barring royal involvement in politics. Last week she appeared via video at an online event to encourage more people to vote. “We all know what’s at stake this year,” she said.

This kind of activism has inspired some gnashing of teeth in British tabloids; Piers Morgan, co-host of “Good Morning Britain,” a Daily Mail columnist and one of Meghan’s sharpest critics, called for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to be stripped of their titles because of her “brazenly partisan” involvement in America’s presidential election.

According to the Makers tweet, a full transcript of Meghan’s Q&A with Steinem, the legendary American feminist leader, will be released Wednesday.

Ten days ago, while participating in a similar conversation with the co-founder of a new women-oriented media platform, Meghan mentioned she had been talking “recently” with her new friend Steinem.

Although it was not clear where the conversation with Steinem took place, the presence of the pooches means it could have been in the backyard of Harry and Meghan’s new multi-million-dollar home in Santa Barbara County’s Montecito.

Guy is one of the dogs Meghan adopted and lived with in Toronto for the years she was there filming “Suits,” the USA TV series she was co-starring in when she met Harry in the summer of 2016. Pula was adopted by the couple after she moved to London to join Harry in 2017, before they married in Windsor in May 2018.

Before she met Harry, Guy was a star on Meghan’s lifestyle blog, The Tig. She shut down the blog as her relationship with Harry grew. Pula has rarely been seen until now.

From the brief video clip, Meghan seemed to be excited about talking with Steinem.

“People forget how hard women like you and so many others like you fought for us to be where we are right now,” she told Steinem.

“If you don’t vote you don’t exist,” Steinem said. “It is the only place where we’re all equal, the voting booth.”

Meghan had a wide-brimmed sun hat and was dressed in white, including wide-legged striped pants. Steinem was all in black.

Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Made a Rare Appearance to Distribute School Supplies in LA This Week

Prince Harry and Meghan have been busy working from their new home, taking part in video calls and online meetings. But the couple has also been keen to get out and about where possible, and on Wednesday they volunteered with a local non-profit handing out items to families in need.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex volunteered with LA charity Baby2Baby, which is one of the four organizations—and the only one in the US—that they chose to help celebrate Archie’s birth last May. The couple handed out supplies to families and helped children pick out and try new backpacks.

A source said that, despite the heat “everyone was in great spirits. The kids were eager to receive their books and supplies and Meghan and Harry did what they do best—engage and connect with the crowd.”

The source continued that the couple was “determined to serve every last child waiting in a line that wrapped around the school” and they “chatted with the families about the upcoming school year and wished all of the kids good luck.”

Meghan dressed casually in a white shirt and beige shorts along with a mask from Royal Jelly, a New York City-based, Black female-founded company. The event was held at Knox Elementary School, which, along with the other schools in the LA Unified School District, has just started the new year remotely, with distance learning.

Baby2Baby provides basic necessities like diapers, wipes and clothes to kids and families in need and said today that it has distributed more than 30 million critical items to hundreds of thousands of children across the US since March.

“We are so grateful to be onsite during the most unique back to school week in history distributing school supplies, backpacks, hygiene, clothing and food directly to children and families who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and are struggling to afford the basic necessities they rely on school to provide,” Baby2Baby Co-Presidents Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof said in a statement. “We are committed to supporting the students from our partners at LAUSD and around the country throughout distance learning as well as when they are back in the classroom.”

Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner said: “Thank you to Baby2Baby for your generosity and support. The faces of the students and families as they receive necessary supplies remind us all how important it is, during these most difficult of times, to create a sense of stability and even a few moments of happiness, in the lives of those we serve.”

Prince Harry and Meghan have settled into a new home in Santa Barbara with one-year-old Archie. The duchess made her first public appearance from the property last week during an online discussion with Emily Ramshaw, co-founder of news organization the 19th.

Source: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/

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Meghan Markle Says She Is Looking Forward to Using Her Voice

Since the Duchess of Sussex returned to the U.S. she has made a handful of appearances by video discussing issues close to her heart. And today, Meghan gave what are perhaps her most personal reflections so far on her experience of living through these troubled times and her hopes for using her voice.

The Duchess turned interviewer to speak to cofounder and CEO Emily Ramshaw for the launch of news organization The 19th*, which was founded to “shine a light on the unfinished business of the 19th Amendment and empower women.” However, Ramshaw didn’t miss the opportunity “turn the tables for a minute” to ask Meghan for her feelings in the 25-minute discussion. “I’m curious what it’s been like for you coming back to the United States in this moment, as a biracial woman in this moment of all these conversations around race and justice. What has that felt like for you?” she asked.

Pointing out how she had been living away from the U.S. for almost 10 years in Canada and the UK, Meghan said: “To come back and to just see the state of affairs, I think at the onset, if I’m being honest, it was just devastating. It was so sad to see where our country was in that moment.”

But, she added: “If there’s any silver lining in that, I would say that in the weeks after the murder of George Floyd, in the peaceful protests you were seeing, in the voices that were coming out, in the way that people were actually owning their role and acknowledging their role that they had played, either actively or passively, in the discrimination of other people, specifically of the Black community, it shifted from sadness to a feeling of absolute inspiration, because I can see that the tide is turning.”

The Duchess said that it was not new to her to see “this undercurrent of racism and certainly unconscious bias,” but added, “I think to see the changes that are being made right now is really—it’s something I look forward to being a part of.” And in an indication that she had felt stifled by the conventions placed on members of the royal family not to speak out on issues that could be deemed political, Meghan continued: “And being part of using my voice in a way that I haven’t been able to of late. So, yeah, it’s good to be home.”

The Duchess also shared her thoughts on the importance of voting. “When I have these conversations about encouraging people to go out and vote, I think it’s often challenging for men and women alike certainly for people to remember just how hard to was for people to get the right to vote. And to be really aware of not taking that for granted. I look at that, my husband for example, he’s never been able to vote. And I think it’s such an interesting thing to say the right to vote is not a privilege, it is a right in and of itself.” While technically all royal family members can vote, by convention the Queen doesn’t and it is generally assumed that other senior royals follow suit.

A source close to Meghan today told T&C that The 19th*’s mission to build a “diverse and representative newsroom immediately spoke to The Duchess and her desire to see more equitable coverage of women and people of colour in the news.” The 19th is non-profit and non-partisan and aims to have gender equity and diversity at its core. Other speakers at the summit included Senator and Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris; former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Melinda Gates; Stacey Abrams; Senator Tammy Duckworth; and Meryl Streep.

During the conversation, Meghan also spoke about trust in journalism and who has the influence. “If it’s only coming from a patriarchal lens, how that shapes everything that we see,” she said, adding: “What’s so fascinating, at least from my standpoint and my personal experience the past couple of years, is the headline alone, the clickbait alone, makes an imprint. That is part of how we start to view the world, how we interact with other people. And I think there is so much toxicity out there in what is being referred to, my husband and I talk about it often, this economy for attention.”

Source: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/

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Meghan Markle Has a Big Interview Coming Up

Meghan Markle is no stranger to the press. (That might just be the understatement of the year.) But even before she married into the royal family and became one the most well-known women in the world, she was a regular on red carpets and often spoke with reporters about her acting career, her lifestyle brand The Tig, and her humanitarian efforts.

Later this month, though, the Duchess of Sussex try her hand asking the questions in an interview with the 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization, which launched this summer, and focuses on gender, politics and policy. As part of the 19th Represents Virtual Summit, Meghan will be speaking with the organization’s co-founder and CEO, Emily Ramshaw.

“In the department of the surreal: The Duchess reached out to us; she said [the 19th’s] vision of building a diverse and representative newsroom that covers women and other underserved people with nuance + empathy spoke to her immediately,” Ramshaw shared on Twitter.

“She asked if she could interview me on ‘storytelling that lifts up those who are too often underrepresented in the media,’ and ‘what it means to build a media outlet with gender equity, diversity and community at its core.'”

The conversation entitled “Behind The 19th*” will take place on Friday, August 14, and registration is open now at this link.

Source: https://www.townandcountrymag.com

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Meghan Markle delivers 1st major speech since stepping away from royal duties

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, took the virtual stage at the U.N. Foundation’s 2020 Girl Up Leadership Summit Tuesday, marking her first major speech since she and husband Prince Harry stepped away from their royal duties earlier this year.

The international event gave the 38-year-old keynote speaker the opportunity to greet girls across the globe with an empowering message.

The former Meghan Markle addressed “young women around the world who aren’t just poised to change the world, but have already begun changing the world,” and she informed them that they have even more leverage in that world than they realize.

“I want to share something with you,” she said. “It’s that those in the halls and corridors and places of power — from lawmakers and world leaders to executives — all of those people, they depend on you more than you will ever depend on them. And here’s the thing: They know this.

“They know that all of you, at a younger age than any modern comparison, are setting the tone for an equitable humanity. Not figuratively, literally. This is a humanity that desperately needs you. To push it, to push us, forcefully in a more inclusive, more just, and more empathetic direction. To not only frame the debate but be in charge of the debate — on racial justice, gender, climate change, mental health and well-being, on civic engagement, on public service, on so much more. That’s the work you’re already out there doing.”

And that’s the work she believes the next generation of women can do like no other before, by reimagining and reframing the status quo — especially those who are already benefiting from programs like Girl Up, which supports U.N. agencies that focus on adolescent girls.

“Girl Up members are organizing Black Lives Matter protests around the world, you are creating films to encourage your peers to become activist leaders, you are reforming the criminal justice system, you are telling your school boards we need more mental health resources for all ages, you are leading coalitions to end gun violence,” she told them. “You are standing up and demanding to be heard, yes, but you’re also demanding to own the conversation.”

But Meghan didn’t simply use the forum to applaud what girls are already doing. She also offered advice about the work that still needs to be done.

She noted:

“We are not meant to be breaking each other down; we are meant to be building each other up. So use your voice both on and offline to do just that — build each other up, support each other.”
“The moment we are living through right now asks all of us to do more. It’s a moment where your voices, and your action, have never been more urgently needed.”
“Believing in true equality is not enough — it’s going to take more than belief, we have to work for it every day, even when it’s hard and even when it makes others feel uneasy.”

While Tuesday’s address was Meghan’s first major speaking engagement since officially retreating from royal duties in March, she’s remained busy in the wake of what many dubbed “Megxit,” despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In March, she reached out to a woman looking for work via video call for a pep talk. In June, she had stirring words for the graduating class of her high school alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. And earlier this month, she was joined by Harry to discuss racial injustice with young leaders and activists.

Her ongoing work stresses the most important part of her message to girls: The vital thing to do is to start doing something.

“Look, sometimes it’s not obvious what to do,” she told those gathered for the Girl Up summit. “Often, it’s fear that paralyzes us and stops us from being brave and being bold. But don’t underestimate that you have some of the answers. Don’t underestimate your ability to push through the fear. You have, rooted in your convictions, the ability to craft a world that you know is just and kind. Your gut will tell you what’s right and what’s wrong; what’s fair and unfair. The hardest part — and it was the hardest part for me — is to chase your convictions with action.”

Source: https://www.today.com/

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Filed in Charities

Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Visited LA Social Justice Charity Homeboy Industries And Prepared Meals

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have spent their spring and summer largely out of the spotlight, social distancing and preparing for the launch of their non-profit Archewell during the coronavirus pandemic. But the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a visit yesterday to Homeboy Industries, a Los Angeles social justice organization that “provide[s] training and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women in the city, allowing them to redirect their lives,” according to the organization’s site.

Meghan and Harry joined workers in the organization’s Bakery and Café to bake and prepare meals for those in need. The Duke and Duchess wore hair nets, masks, aprons, and gloves throughout the appearance. Under her apron, Meghan was dressed casually, wearing a white button-up and blue jeans.

Homeboy Industries shared photos from the Duke and Duchess of their visit, which included them posing alongside members of the organization. “THANK YOU to Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for their visit yesterday!” Homeboy Industries tweeted. “Our Bakery & Café teams were thrilled to have them work alongside us to #FeedHOPE to Los Angeles.”

This is not Meghan and Harry’s first time volunteering during the coronavirus pandemic. The couple were seen delivering meals to those in need back in April with Project Angel Food. Dan Tyrell, one of the people to receive meals from the Duke and Duchess, spoke to local publication WEHOville about his experience seeing the couple. “They were both nice and very down-to earth people,” Tyrell said. “They had masks on, and they were dressed down with jeans, but very nice jeans. I thought that tall red-headed guy looked pretty familiar, and that girl was very pretty. Then I saw the large black SUVs with the security guards behind them.”

Source: https://www.elle.com/

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Filed in News

New Book About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Promises to Tell the “True Story” of the Sussexes’ Relationship

Later this month, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will celebrate their second wedding anniversary, but the royal couple has already been through enough together—both good times and bad—to warrant a joint biography.

Today, HarperCollins announced the acquisition of Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, by reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand. (Scobie is a royal editor at T&C’s sister brand Harper’s Bazaar, while Durand contributes to O, The Oprah Magazine and Elle, which are also owned by T&C’s parent company, Hearst.)

“With unique access and written with the participation of those closest to the couple, Finding Freedom is an honest, up-close, and disarming portrait of a confident, influential, and forward-thinking couple who are unafraid to break with tradition, determined to create a new path away from the spotlight, and dedicated to building a humanitarian legacy that will make a profound difference in the world,” reads a brief summary from the publisher.

While the authors promise sources that offer the inside scoop on the royal couple, it is understood that this is not an official or endorsed project by Harry or Meghan, and it doesn’t claim to have interviews with the couple, as was previously rumored.

“The aim of this book is to portray the real Harry and Meghan, a couple who continue to inspire many around the world through their humanitarian and charitable work but are often inaccurately portrayed,” Scobie and Durand said in a joint statement released with today’s announcement.

“Our mission has been motivated by a desire to tell an accurate version of their journey and finally present the truth of misreported stories that have become gospel simply because of the amount of times they have been repeated. It is thanks to our sources that we have been able to share the definitive story of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family is slated to be released this summer.

Source: https://www.townandcountrymag.com

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