Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Heading to New York City Next Week for a Special U.N. Appearance
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Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are taking another bite out of the Big Apple!
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who relocated from the U.K. to Meghan's home state of California in 2020, are planning another trip to New York City. According to reports, a spokesperson for the United Nations confirmed that the couple will at the U.N. to celebrate Nelson Mandela Day on July 18. Prince Harry, 37, is expected to give an address.
Meghan, 40, appeared at the U.N. Women's conference on International Women's Day in 2015. Her mom Doria Ragland was on hand as she gave an inspiring speech on gender equality.
"U.N. Women, as you guys know, has defined the year 2030 as the expiration date for gender inequality," she said. "And here's what's staggering — the studies show that at the current rate, the elimination of gender inequality won't be possible until 2095. That's another eighty years from now. And when it comes to women's political participation and leadership the percentage of female parliamentarians globally has only increased by 11% since 1995. Eleven percent in 20 years? Come on. This has to change. Women make up more than half of the world's population and potential, so it is neither just nor practical for their voices, for our voices, to go unheard at the highest levels of decision-making."
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Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty Meghan Markle and Doria Ragland
Members of the royal family, including Harry's grandparents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip as well as both of his parents Prince Charles and Princess Diana, met with Mandela on many occasions before his death in 2013.
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During the couple's tour to Africa in 2019, they met with Graca Machel, Mandela's widow. Prince Harry and Meghan also visited the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition in London back in July 2018.
Samir Hussein/WireImage Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Graca Machel
Meghan and Prince Harry visited New York City in September 2021, starting with a visit to One World Observatory at the World Trade Center with former Mayor Bill de Blasio, his wife Chirlane McCray, their son Dante de Blasio and Governor Kathy Hochul.
During the trip, they 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.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The duo then appeared on stage at Global Citizen Live in Central Park, where they spoke up about the world's need for COVID-19 vaccine equity.
"Every single person on this planet has a fundamental right to get this vaccine. That's the point, but that's not happening," Meghan said.
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Dia Dipasupil/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the 2021 Salute to Freedom Gala on Nov. 10, 2021
Meghan and Harry returned to New York in November, marking Veterans Day in the U.S. and Remembrance Day in the U.K. at the 2021 Salute to Freedom gala at the Intrepid Museum. After hitting the red carpet, Prince Harry, who served in the British army for 10 years, presented the inaugural Intrepid Valor Awards to five service members, veterans and military families living with the invisible wounds of war.
Last month, the couple returned to the U.K. with their two children — Archie Harrison, 3, and Lilibet Diana, 1 — for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. During the trip, they celebrated Lili's first birthday with a backyard party at their U.K. home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
