MEGHAN’S MISSION
I’ll fight for gay rights she says at first event representing Queen
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle have vowed to put gay rights at the ‘forefront’ of their public work as a couple.
The pair revealed their support for the cause as they chatted with campaigners at a Commonwealth event in London yesterday.
It was the first time Miss Markle has undertaken a major official engagement on behalf of the Queen. She described the issue of gay rights as a matter of ‘ basic human rights’ – as opposed to one focusing on love or sexuality.
Harry, 33, has been given a new role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador by the Queen and opened its Youth Forum on Monday. He and Miss Markle met delegates taking part in the forum yesterday as part of this week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
They met Jacob Thomas, from Melbourne, who won a Queen’s Young Leaders award for reducing the suicide rate in the LGBT ( lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community in Australia. He said: ‘Miss Markle said that “this is a basic human rights issue, not one about sexuality”. She really laid down the key point that it is a basic human right, not about love and sexuality.
‘Prince Harry said he would put the issue at the forefront of his work.’ Jonah Chinga, an LGBT activist from Kenya, said: ‘Both Prince Harry and Miss Markle said they would put LGBT issues at the front of their work.’
Miss Markle, 36, wore a £1,450 ivory pinstripe dress by Altuzarra and towering doublestrap stilettos by Tamara Mellon, worth £333.
She draped a £382 Dimmer Blazer by Camilla and Marc over her shoulders but later took it off in the hot weather.
The event was held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster. The Queen, who is head of the Commonwealth, has made clear she sees Harry and his future bride as lynchpins of her work with the so-called ‘family of nations’.
Earlier this week Theresa May spoke of her ‘regret’ at Britain’s role in creating laws criminalising same sex relationships in the Commonwealth. Yesterday she said the UK had a ‘special responsibility to change hearts and minds’ on gay rights.
Princess Eugenie attended a separate Commonwealth meeting at the conference centre on eradicating exploitation yesterday. The 28-year-old showed off a new bobbed hairstyle but bizarrely wore a pair of black suede boots despite the heat.