Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Enjoy Rare 'Date Night' in N.Y.C.: 'We Don't Get Out Much'

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Tuesday was date night for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in New York City!

At the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award Gala, where the couple was honored, Harry, 38, said he and his wife were enjoying a rare evening out, minus their two children.

"I actually thought we were just going on a date night, so I find it quite weird that we're sharing the room with 1,500 people," joked Harry while speaking on stage with Meghan, 41, and Kerry Kennedy.

He continued, "We don't get out much 'cause our kids are so small and young, so this is completely unexpected. It's nice to share date night with all of you — thank you for coming!"

While 3½-year-old Archie Harrison and 18-month-old Lilibet Diana were at home in California, Meghan and Harry picked up the Ripple of Hope Award for their work in racial justice, mental health and other social-impact actions through their Archewell foundation.

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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala at New York Hilton on December 06, 2022 in New York City.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala at New York Hilton on December 06, 2022 in New York City.

Mike Coppola/Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

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The couple's return to the Big Apple comes months after they appeared at the United Nations, when Harry gave a special address in honor of Nelson Mandela Day in July.

In September 2021, Harry and Meghan spent several days in the city, visiting One World Observatory at the World Trade Center with former Mayor Bill de Blasio, his wife Chirlane McCray, their son Dante de Blasio and Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Meghan, Dutchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speak onstage at the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala at New York Hilton on December 06, 2022 in New York City.
Meghan, Dutchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speak onstage at the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala at New York Hilton on December 06, 2022 in New York City.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

During the trip, they also met with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and Meghan read her children's book The Bench to second-grade students at P.S. 123 Mahalia Jackson School in Harlem.

Additionally, the pair appeared on stage at Global Citizen Live in Central Park, where they spoke up about the world's need for COVID-19 vaccine equity.

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Kennedy, 63, previously told Spanish news outlet El Confidencial's Vanitatis magazine that Harry and Meghan exemplified the "moral courage" against injustice that Kennedy's father famously called for in his iconic Ripple of Hope speech at the University of Cape Town in South Africa over 50 years ago, when apartheid reigned.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also attended the gala, which was emceed by Alec Baldwin, and received the Ripple of Hope Award for his courageous leadership amid the Russian invasion.

Fellow 2022 laureates were Siris co-founder Frank Baker, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan and Invenergy CEO Michael Polsky.

The ceremony also posthumously recognized NBA legend and civil-rights activist Bill Russell.