Markle’s sparkle to make royal quartet
IT WAS the day the royal trio became a quartet.
Prince Harry has already teamed up for several years with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to highlight their charity work.
But yesterday they were joined by Harry’s fiancee Meghan Markle to form a Fab Four. And, as with any new member of a supergroup, the US actress brought her own ideas – insisting she wanted to “hit the ground running” as a member of the royal family. She also showed she has no intention of steering clear of controversy as she championed female empowerment.
Harry, Kate and William formed their Royal Foundation in 2011 as the main vehicle for their philanthropic work. Ms Markle will become its fourth patron after her wedding to Harry in May.
During its first annual forum in London yesterday, William formally welcomed his future sister-in-law, while Harry gushed: “I am personally incredibly proud and excited that my soon-to-be wife, who is equally passionate about seeing positive change in the world, will soon be joining us with this work.”
In a Q&A session, Markle, 36, made a bold public endorsement of the MeToo and TimesUp campaigns against sexual harassment and inequality.
“There is no better time to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them – men included,” she said.
Harry, 33, could be quietly heard joking “wedding first” as she spoke, prompting her to insist playfully: “We can multitask!”
Her confident performance went down well with Harry, who added: “We’re pretty tied up with planning a wedding, but we’re really looking forward to working … as a four going forward, hoping to make as much of a difference where we can.”
Heavily pregnant Kate appeared to get on well with her future sister-in-law, with the pair frequently laughing and smiling together.
Later, William and Harry set out their vision for a modern monarchy, paying tribute to their family but making clear they want to do things their way. “Our parents had provided for us an example of diligence, compassion and duty in all they did. The task for us would not be to reinvent the wheel,” William said.