Meghan Markle and Prince Harry news: Duchess joins Michelle Obama in Girl Up campaign after couple speak out on equality
07/08/2020MEGHAN Markle will join Michelle Obama and Priyanka Chopra as a speaker at the Girl Up campaign next week.
The Duchess of Sussex will deliver advice for global girls' leaders when she takes to the stage for the online event.
This follows Prince Harry appearing in a new video message for his charity Sentable during the Opening Ceremony of the 23rd International AIDS Conference on Tuesday.
Speaking from in the garden outside his swanky £15million home in LA, Harry urged thousands to share stories of resilience.
In the Twitter video, Harry said: “This years theme is resilience, something all of us around the globe have understood, specifically in recent months.
“For many, digging deep to find that resilience has been a challenging experience.”
Keep up to date with the royals by following our live blog below…
HARRY SLAMMED BY PIERS MORGAN FOR VIDEO CALL
Harry has once again come under fire for his comments about "getting uncomfortable" about inequality.
Piers Morgan has dedicated a Daily Mail column to his views on the Duke and Duchess' video.
He writes: “There's something horribly inappropriate about it coming from a jobless prince sitting in a Hollywood mansion, living off his father's money and still reportedly using British taxpayer cash to fund his family's very expensive security costs.
“In fact, it's hard to think of a more privileged, elitist life than the one they're now currently living – one that has all the luxury and glamour of royal life without the need to perform any of the duty.”
MEGHAN'S SENTIMENTAL BIRTHDAY TRADITION
The Duchess of Sussex will turn 39 on August 4 and will use her birthday to "reflect on the past year."
Each year, Meghan uses the time to think about her future, a tradition that is inspired by her mum Doria Ragland.
Meghan revealed the sweet habit in 2016 on her now-deleted lifestyle website The Tig when she wrote: “My mom has always said that birthdays are your own personal New Year.
“Your own chance to make resolutions just for yourself and what you prognosticate for your year ahead.”
HARRY HAS 'LOST THE PLOT' TO CRITICISE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH, SAYS ARTHUR EDWARDS
Following Harry's video call where he criticised the “wrongs” of the Commonwealth, The Sun's Royal Photographer Arthur Edwards has spoken out about the comments.
Arthur said in a comment piece: “One of the Queen’s greatest achievements has been keeping together 54 countries in this 'family of nations', which grew out of the end of the British Empire.
“So to criticise the one thing the Queen cherishes above all things, which is preserving the Commonwealth, is an insult to her — no matter what the palace may say officially.”
PRINCE HARRY WANTED TO BE A 'ROVING ROYAL' FROM THE GET-GO
Body language expert Judi James compared Prince Harry to a “fish out of water” in the US, but he never planned to stay in the UK according to one insider.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl previously said it was “inevitable” that the couple would relocate – but admitted the speed of their move had “surprised everybody”.
She previously told Australian website 9Honey: “I was told from a very early stage in their courtship, they had told a friend of Harry's that Meghan Markle met quite early on that they wanted to international roving royals and that was going to be their focus.
“This is not a couple who like to sit around and twiddle their thumbs. They move quickly and they do seem in quite a hurry to do their thing.”
MEGHAN HAS A SECRET MESSAGE ENGRAVED ON HER CARTIER WATCH
The inscription is on a £4,800 Cartier Tank Française watch, which Meg bought after finding out Suits was returning for a third season when she was playing Rachel Zane.
Speaking to Hello! at the time she said: “I’ve always coveted the Cartier French Tank watch.
“When I found out Suits had been picked up for our third season – which, at the time, felt like such a milestone – I totally splurged and bought the two-tone version.
“I had it engraved on the back, ‘To M.M. From M.M.’ and I plan to give it to my daughter one day.
“That’s what makes pieces special, the connection you have to them.”
MEGHAN TOLD HER BUSINESS ADVISOR SHE HAD 'LEGS AS LONG AS A MILE'
Instagram
MEGHAN Markle once told her business adviser she had “legs as long as a mile” and wanted to find jobs that “showcased” her “asset”.
Gina Nelthorpe-Cowne, 54, acted as Meghan’s business adviser after meeting the actress on the set of Suits in 2014, and the pair also became close friends.
The business guru worked with Meghan, 38, on numerous endorsement deals, from big-brand watch companies to body care ranges, and the actress was firm about how to promote herself.
Gina wrote in the Mail on Sunday: “She [Meghan] took me to one side and emphasised that she had 'legs as long as a mile', demanding that our agency do our best to secure her a substantial offer to showcase this 'asset'.”
MEGHAN 'SURPRISED' THE QUEEN WITH HER CHOICE OF WEDDING DRESS
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, insiders claimed that the monarch was surprised that Meghan Markle wore a pristine white gown despite having previously been married.
Speaking to the publication they said: “The Queen is said to have expressed surprise that Meghan, a divorcee, wore quite such a white dress for her wedding.”
Traditionally a white wedding dress is symbolic of a woman’s “purity” on her wedding day, and represents the bride’s virginity.
With Meghan having previously been married Her Majesty may have expected her to opt for an off-white gown.
MEGHAN WANTED TO BE AN 'ACCESSIBLE PEOPLE'S PRINCESS', SAYS HAIRDRESSER
Getty Images
The Duchess of Sussex's hairdresser George Northwood opened up about his working relationship with the former Suits actress in an interview with The Telegraph.
Describing how he had to create “appropriate” styles for the Duchess before royal engagements, the A-List hairstylist said: “We had to make sure we ticked all the boxes.
“But then we wanted to make her look accessible and like a people’s princess that everyone relates to.”
Meghan's mother-in-law Princess Diana became known as the “People's Princess” as a result of charity work which saw her become the patron of over 100 100 charitable organisations.
WILL 'DITCHED' JESSICA MULRONEY BACK MEGHAN IN COURT?
Yesterday, it was claimed Jessica Mulroney has been ditched by the Duchess so she could appear "woke", it has been claimed.
However, Jess was named by The Telegraph and E! as one of five friends who spoke out in defence of the Duchess for an article in People magazine last year.
While the stylist has remained tight-lipped on the subject, if she was a source she may be required to speak in court to testify that they were not instructed to speak to the publication by Meghan.
Speaking to MailOnline, media lawyer Mark Stephens said that if Jessica was one of the five, Meghan's legal team may have concerns over whether she will still testify.
He said: “‘If Ms Mulroney is one of Meghan’s five friends then she will be a critical key witness in the case being advanced to trial.
“She will have to testify that even though the letter sent to Thomas Markle contained highly personal information she took it upon herself to brief People Magazine without Meghan knowing anything about it. All five will have to confirm that in court – and without it Meghan’s case is holed below the waterline.”
MEGHAN 'SURPRISED' BEST FRIEND ON HIS BIRTHDAY
Meghan's BFF and makeup artist Daniel Martin has revealed that he got a very special visit from his royal pal on his birthday.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, he said: “Meghan surprised me for my birthday, actually.
“She was coming to see Serena play at the U.S. Open last fall, and she was, like, ‘Hey, I'm in town! Let's celebrate your birthday.’ And I was, like, what?! We had cupcakes over at her place. It was really nice.”
Daniel is best known for giving Meghan her luminous glow on her wedding day.
MEGHAN & HARRY GET 'ATTEND' NOTTINGHAM FOREST GAME
Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Meghan and Harry were among the stars spotted in the stands of tonight's Nottingham Forest V Fulham game – as cardboard cutouts of course.
With social distancing measures still in place football stadiums remain empty but the club has gone out of its way to make The City ground feel like home.
The stadium has more than 1,300 life-size cardboard cut-outs in the stands, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex among the famous faces.
Meghan and Harry have “seats” among football stars, celebrities and even superfans.
MEGHAN ANNOUNCED AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT SUMMIT WITH MICHELLE OBAMA
It has been revealed that the Duchess will be a special guest at a summit for the Girl Up campaign next week.
She will appear alongside big names such as Michelle Obama and Priyanka Chopra.
The duchess is a keynote speaker at an online event, which is taking place between July 13 -15.
MEGHAN'S ADORABLE NICKNAME FOR ARCHIE
Back on Archie's first birthday in May, Meghan revealed her sweet nickname for her little boy.
Royal fans were treated to a cute video of Prince Harry's wife reading their one-year-old a children's story in a post shared on Save The Children's Instagram page.
As Meghan animatedly told the story of 'Duck! Rabbit!' in what appears to be their Los Angeles home, Archie began to wriggle on her lap.
At one point she said: “Let's go to the next page. Look Arch!”
PRINCE HARRY SEEMED 'TRAPPED' AND 'ANXIOUS' ON VIDEO CALL, SAYS BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT
Judi James analysed the body language of the Duke of Sussex on his Commonwealth call.
She told Femail that Prince Harry looked “awkward” and “spoke down to the floor” during the chat, and his position at the edge of the frame made him look “trapped”.
Judi added: “The framing shows Meghan in almost the middle of the shot, able to utilise the space she has to her left to gesticulate and allow her passion to be illustrated as she speaks.
“Harry, though, looks slightly trapped to one side, with no room to gesticulate and – at the start – no room to speak.”
PRINCE HARRY SPEAKS OF THE 'CHALLENGES OF DIGGING DEEP TO FIND RESILIENCE' DURING CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
The Duke of Sussex has appeared in a new video message for his charity Sentable during the Opening Ceremony of the 23rd International AIDS Conference on Tuesday.
Speaking from in the garden outside his swanky £15million home in LA, Harry urged thousands to share stories of resilience.
In the Twitter video, Harry said: “This years theme is resilience, something all of us around the globe have understood, specifically in recent months.
“For many, digging deep to find that resilience has been a challenging experience.”
BBC PRESENTER ANDREW NEIL HITS BACK AT SUSSEXES' COMMONWEALTH DEBATE
Harry said in a video chat this week: “Certainly, when you look across the Commonwealth there is no way that we can move forward unless we acknowledge the past.”
Today, BBC journalist Andrew Neil responded on Twitter, writing:“What is it that the Commonwealth has done wrong?
“And since they don’t live in it, what’s it got to do with them?”
PIERS MORGAN SLAMS HARRY AND MEGHAN FOR CRITICISING QUEEN-LED COMMONWEALTH
Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan accused the former working royals of “picking a political fight” with the Queen, after their comments during a video call.
The couple called for the “wrongs” of the Commonwealth's past to be acknowledged.
He joked it was ironic of the couple to say it's “time to be uncomfortable” when “they are the most comfortable people in the world”.
Piers also attacked the couple for “lecturing” the world from their “freebee Hollywood mansion”.
INSIDE MEGHAN AND HARRY'S £14.5MILLION LOCKDOWN MANSION IN LA
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their one-year-old son Archie, have called Hollywood tycoon Tyler Perry's $18million (£14.5million) pad home since moving to LA at the end of March, sources said.
Perry's eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom Tuscan-style villa sits on 22 acres on the top of a hill in the ultra-exclusive Beverly Ridge Estates guard-gated community.
The Tuscan-style villa offers spectacular, sweeping views of the city from their ultra-exclusive neighbourhood.
And inside, the home is kitted out with all the amenities any A-lister could crave, including a Grecian spa-style bathroom with white pillars and a sunken bath.
PRINCE CHARLES WANTS TO “DAMPEN A SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT AMONG ROYALS” WHEN HE BECOMES KING
Nigel Cawthorne, author of 'Prince Andrew: Epstein and the Palace,' has said the Prince of Wales, 71, wants to modernise the institution of monarchy.
Speaking to The Express, he said: “The idea of the monarchy he sees, and in which he seems to be supported by William and, increasingly, it would appear the Queen, is one that suits the 21st century.
“Like the Windsors' relatives who reign in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Belgium and Spain, he prefers to dampen a sense of entitlement among royals.”
HARRY AND MEGHAN JOKE ABOUT AGEING
Meghan shared a joke with husband Prince Harry after he said he was “ageing” during a Zoom chat.
The couple were speaking to members of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust when Harry made a tongue-in-cheek claim.
Harry, 35, said: “I'm ageing, right, I'm 35 already”.
Meghan, 38, quickly laughed: “That's not ageing!”
Harry responded: “It is ageing compared to these guys”, referring to the other participants on the call.
WILLIAM AND HARRY SPLIT DIANA'S MEMORIAL FUND
Princes William and Harry have split cash from their mother's memorial fund between their chosen charities as the pair finalise plans for their new separate working lives.
According to financial documents, an agreement was signed in December last year between the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the now-abandoned Sussex Royal Foundation.
The fund is no longer actively fundraising, but it is understood to occasionally receive some legacies and donations, with the bulk of its money originally going to charities chosen by William and Harry.
MEGHAN AND HARRY DELAY FOUNDATION LAUNCH
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced the first details of their highly-anticipated foundation back in March.
Although Archewell was expected to launch later this year, an insider told The Telegraph this has now been postponed.
Describing how a public launch is now “off the cards”, the source said: “What's absolutely clear is that they want to get it right and there's no point in rushing.
“They are settling into a new life, a new era. This is about getting it right and making sure they are able to make the difference they want to make.”
The publication reports the couple want to focus their energies the Black Lives Matter movement as well as supporting communities affected by the coronavirus crisis.
MEGHAN DITCHES JESSICA
Meghan's best friend Jessica Mulroney has been ditched by the Duchess so she could appear "woke", it has been claimed.
Former actress Meghan, 38, met Jessica in Toronto while filming US legal drama Suits – but she distanced herself from her after she was exposed by Canadian influencer and blogger Sasha Exeter for using her “wealth and privilege” to attempt to shut her up in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement.
An insider said: “Jessica’s team have made it clear that she feels completely ditched by Meghan and fears she is going to cut her out of her life for good.
“She’s completely distraught and devastated because Meghan has done nothing to stand up for her publicly. Jessica is terrified she will never work again.
“Meghan has forsaken her most loyal friend just to look woke.”
MEGHAN AND HARRY'S CHARITY LETTER
The couple – who are reportedly living in Tyler Perry's £14.5m mansion – have continued their charity work since their move to LA and most recently sent a heartfelt letter to StreetGames.
The charity is based in the UK and helps helps children from disadvantaged backgrounds get involved in sport.
In the letter, the couple thanked StreetGames for helping the Hubb Community Kitchen – another cause Meghan supports – deliver food parcels around London.
“The impact of Covid-19 has been a scary and testing time for so many people from all walks of life, all over the world,” they wrote. “However, it is in these difficult times like these that goodwill to others and community spirit prevails.”
The couple added: “We have been touched to witness from afar the coming together of the organisations we champion and so deeply care about.”
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