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Meghan Markle was at the British Fashion Awards in London on Monday night to present Givenchy’s Clare Waight Keller—the designer of her wedding gown— with the British Designer Womenswear Award. Meghan also had no choice but to make headlines with her belly at this stage in her pregnancy, and she stood in a way that showcased it in her formfitting, one-shouldered Givenchy gown.

Keller said in her speech that she “got to know Meghan on such a personal level. And to have someone like that trust you in an incredible moment in their life is something that is just the most unbelievable honor, and I can’t thank you enough because it was just the most beautiful moment. Thank you.”

Introducing Keller, Meghan acknowledged the “familiar faces” she’s gotten to know since she has lived in England. “As all of you in this room know, we have a deep connection to what we wear,” she said, as she introduced Keller. “Sometimes it’s very personal, sometimes it’s emotional. But for me, this connection is rooted in really being able to understand that it’s about supporting and empowering each other, especially women.”

Since she and Prince Harry announced the news of their new arrival in mid-October, Meghan has been seen out on many public outings, including their trip to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga. But at several engagements, including a recent visit to the Hubb Community Kitchen, Meghan has dressed in a way that deliberately de-emphasized her stomach. Tonight’s Givenchy gown marks a change in strategy—or perhaps, at what’s reportedly the six-month mark of her pregnancy, a recognition that it will be impossible to hide from here on out.

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

The Duchess of Sussex has held private talks with Michelle Obama after watching her speak on female empowerment, royal protocol and the challenges facing black women in the public eye.

The Duchess, whose public work is expected to focus heavily on advocacy for women, watched Mrs Obama speak at the South Bank Centre in London on Monday night, joining an audience of 2,700 people to hear the former First Lady’s advice about life.

Afterwards, the pair met privately backstage for a convivial conversation: the first time they have spoken directly despite their shared professional interests.

The Duchess, who attended the event with staff rather than her husband the Duke, was spotted by members of the public during the evening, and is understood to have enjoyed a warm personal discussion with Mrs Obama afterwards.

The meeting is likely to have been particularly appreciated by the Duchess, who has faced a difficult few weeks in the public eye fuelled by news that the Sussexes are moving away from their in-laws at Kensington Palace.

The pair share a common interest in women’s empowerment, with their husbands already firm friends after working together to promote the Invictus Games.

The Duchess will announce her next projects for her work in the Royal Family, as well as her first charity patronages, in the new year.

Last week, Mrs Obama offered advice to the Duchess in a magazine interview, recommending that she “take some time and don’t be in a hurry to do anything”.

At the live event at the South Bank, publicising her autobiography,

Mrs Obama spoke on topics from the Queen’s alleged dismissal of royal protocol as “rubbish” to her disdain for fashion designers who “treat their staff badly”.

In an on-stage interview, Mrs Obama may inadvertently offered words of comfort to the Duchess who has faced criticism for “breaching protocol” with some of her fashion choices since joining the Royal Family.

The American speaker said of her visit to the Queen in 2016, where she was ushered into a waiting car with Her Majesty and Prince Philip: “I had all this protocol buzzing in my head …and she [the Queen] says ‘Oh it’s all rubbish, just get in’.”

Mrs Obama also offered words of wisdom to newlyweds, admitting: “When I talk to young people just starting to get married, I say: there are going to be huge chunks of time where you want to push him out the window.”

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk