Meghan: We are wounded creatures that need healing
Duchess slams ‘instant fix culture’ on bakery visit
THE Duchess of Sussex has described humanity as being like a ‘wounded creature that needs to be healed’ in an interview with domestic abuse survivors.
Meghan said people are ‘not mechanical objects that need to be fixed’ as she spoke to women at a baking workshop in north London.
The duchess, who returned from her Africa tour with Prince Harry last month, opened up about her ‘hopes, fears and insecurities’ and lamented the ‘culture of instant gratification’ in society.
The 38-year-old was given an apron to wear during her visit to the Luminary Bakery in Camden, which employs women from disadvantaged backgrounds who have either been in abusive relationships, are victims of people trafficking or who have lived on the streets.
The social enterprise was also featured in the September issue of Vogue that Meghan guest edited.
A video shared on the official Sussex Royal Instagram account shows her laughing, joking and baking cakes with the women employed there.
The Instagram post is captioned: ‘Luminary Bakery – a grassroots organisation in the heart of London – is a beautiful example of community and uplifting those during hardship for greater good.’
Behind-the-scenes pictures show the duchess carefully decorating a large cake before cutting into it, as well as cupcakes emblazoned with inspirational messages including: ‘You are beautiful’ and ‘Stay strong’. In an interview published in The
Daily Telegraph she comforted Tanya, who was violently attacked by her expartner, and said she was ‘honoured’ to hear her story.
Meghan said: ‘We get into this habit of wanting things done immediately nowadays. There’s a culture of instant gratification, of the instant fix.
‘But we aren’t mechanical objects that need to be fixed. You’re a wounded creature that needs to be healed. And that’s what I love about this place. It gives you the support to heal.’ Meghan wore jeans, Adidas trainers and a shirt as she spent time talking to all the employees.
She told journalist and author Bryony Gordon, who accompanied her to the bakery: ‘I find that when you strip all the layers away, as people and especially as women, we can find deep connection with each other, and a shared understanding.
‘Our lives may be different, our backgrounds, our experiences, all varied.
‘But I find that in these moments of connection it becomes abundantly clear that our hopes, our fears, our insecurities, the things that make us tick... well those are very much the same. And there’s comfort in that.’
The royal also revealed since she has moved to the UK ‘people have an expectation’ when she visits somewhere – but she always wants her appearances to be ‘nice and chilled’.
Addressing the employees, she said: ‘Because at the end of the day, we’re all just women. We all have a story to tell, and I feel honoured that I am getting to hear yours.’ She added she would be watching the Rugby World Cup final today with baby Archie, who will wear an England babygrow, while Prince Harry cheers on from the stands in Japan.
Her visit to the Luminary Bakery came as Labour MP Holly Lynch revealed she discussed the public eye being ‘a lonely place for women’ during a phone call with Meghan this week.
The duchess personally phoned
Miss Lynch, MP for Halifax in West Yorkshire, to thank her for writing an open letter of support signed by 72 female politicians.
In a recent ITV documentary shot during the couple’s tour of Africa, Meghan admitted she was ‘not okay’ and was struggling to adapt to the pressure of joining the royal family. She said: ‘Any woman, especially when they are pregnant, you’re really vulnerable and so that was made really challenging... it’s a lot.
‘So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mum or trying to be a newlywed.’
Kaila Johnson, from the Luminary Bakery, said: ‘The duchess was invited earlier this week to visit our new bakery and training centre in Camden. We were so pleased to be able to give her an update on our work and a tour of our new facilities, while also spending time with past and present graduates who shared their personal stories with her.
‘It was a fantastic visit and a real boost to the women we support.’
‘Deep connection with each other’