Meghan Markle Was Supposed to Hit Her First 2022 Gala Red Carpet, but It Has Been Canceled

In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death last Thursday, Meghan Markle has made the decision to cancel her September 28 appearance at a gala celebrating Variety magazine’s forthcoming 'Power of Women' issue. Despite her absence, the Duchess of Sussex will still be in good company and will be honored alongside other cultural powerhouses, including Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and Malala Yousafzai.

Per Hello! and the Daily Star, the appearance could have given the duchess an opportunity to speak alongside Hillary and Chelsea Clinton about the "tropes holding women back." Similar to the discussions on her Spotify podcast, Archetypes, Meghan's speech was suspected to reference the amalgam of stereotypes imposed on women both personally and professionally.

In her latest discussion on the podcast series with actor and comedian Mindy Kaling, Meghan opened up about how the latter theme has impacted her own life, admitting she's been frustrated with people who constantly tell her how "lucky" she is that Prince Harry "chose" her after the pair got engaged. "But, thankfully, I have a partner who was countering that narrative for me and going 'they've got it all wrong. I'm the lucky one because you chose me,'" Meghan said before getting into the weeds of how deeply rooted that commentary is in gender and race. "It is gendered and it's archetyped and stereotyped that 'you're so lucky,' and it just feeds into this idea that you're waiting for someone to tell you that you're good enough, as opposed to knowing that you're good enough on your own." A-men!

On the heels of three successful first episodes, Achetypes is now on a brief hiatus given the Queen's recent death. A message on the podcast's Spotify page confirms: "New episodes of Archetypes will be paused during the official mourning period for Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II." (FYI, the period of 'royal mourning' continues seven days after the Queen's funeral on Monday September 19.)

It's clear that the Duchess of Sussex, along with the rest of the royal family, is taking a step back to grieve the recently-deceased Queen and will be continuing to pause projects, events, and other obligations to mourn her.

You Might Also Like

• A Cleaning Expert Explains the Best Way to Clean Cloth Face Masks After You Wear Them — Good Housekeeping

• 35 Delicious Pantry Recipes That Use What's Already in Your Cabinets and Freezer — Good Housekeeping

• The Amish keep to themselves. And they’re hiding a horrifying secret. — Cosmopolitan