Meghan Markle spent International Women’s Day supporting an organization that helps expectant mothers and their children.
The Duchess of Sussex and members of the Archewell Foundation, the organization founded by Meghan and Prince Harry in 2020 following their step back from royal life, visited Los Angeles-based charity Harvest Home on Wednesday.
They created a pop-up baby boutique, hosted lunch from a female-owned restaurant and made a donation to the charity, which helps provide housing, mental well-being support and classes to expectant mothers who have faced challenges such as domestic violence, substance use and homelessness. Since it was established in 1985, Harvest Home has supported over 600 women and their children.
Photos from the visit show Meghan, 41, with her arm around a woman wearing a Harvest Home t-shirt and smiling as she holds a baby outfit.
“Happy International Women’s day to all of you! Whether donating your time, funds or helping a woman in your community, let’s all celebrate the women in our lives today and every day!” said a message on the Archewell Foundation website.
Meghan and Prince Harry traditionally celebrate International Women’s Day with acts of service, from sending treats to the Hubb Community Kitchen (which Meghan worked with as they created a cookbook to raise funds following the Grenville Tower fire in 2017) to visiting a school for their special International Women’s Day assembly.
In 2019, while pregnant with her son Archie, Meghan participated in a panel discussion for International Women’s Day. During the event, she said, “We must be global feminists and include men and boys.”
Back in 2015, Meghan gave an impassioned speech at a UN Women’s conference in New York in which she talked about gender equality for International Women’s Day.
“I am proud to be a woman and a feminist, and this evening I am extremely proud to stand before you on this significant day, which serves as a reminder to all of us of how far we’ve come, but also amid celebration a reminder of the road ahead,” she said.
Meghan and the Archewell team also stepped out for a meal at Gracias Madre, a vegan restaurant in West Hollywood, on Wednesday. During the outing, the group was treated to a special delivery from Prince Harry: vegan cupcakes from Sprinkles.
“This is from my husband. He was asking for everyone,” Meghan was overheard saying by a fellow diner.
Prince Harry was in San Francisco on Wednesday for an appearance at BetterUp’s Uplift summit. The Duke of Sussex, who has served as Chief Impact Officer for the coaching platform since March 2021, answered audience questions alongside BetterUp CEO Alexi Robichaux in front of a live audience.
Wednesday’s outings marked the first for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after announced that the christening of their daughter, Princess Lilibet Diana, was held on March 3 at their home in California. While confirming the news, the couple referred to their children’s royal titles for the first time.
Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth in September, Harry’s father became King Charles — and as grandchildren of the monarch, 3-year-old Archie and 1-year-old Lili were afforded the titles of prince and princess.
“The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch,” a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE. “This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.”
On Thursday, the British royal family’s official website was updated to reflect Archie and Lili’s titles, Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. They were previously styled as “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor” and “Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.”
Source: https://people.com