My bins job shaped me, says Duchess
Royal bride tells young Australians how hard work and an all-girls school helped prepare her for life
SHE has transformed herself from Californian actress to UN advocate for women, lifestyle business owner and, now, a member of the Royal family.
It has been an incredible ascent for the Duchess of Sussex, and now she has given an insight into the roots of her success.
On her first overseas royal tour, the Duchess has spoken of the confidence she gained from attending an all-girls school, and how jobs including putting out the bins had taught her the importance of hard work.
The Duchess, who is expecting her first child in the spring, told pupils at a girls’ school in Sydney that she credits such schools with building confidence and eloquence.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, on their fourth full day of activities in Australia, spent the morning with young people at Macarthur Girls High School, where they were unveiled to screaming students as “surprise” visitors.
The couple heard from teenage girls building their own projects to fight for equality and end poverty, with the Duchess saying she felt “emotional” on hearing their passionate views.
The Duke, who is now said to identify as a feminist, told the girls he wanted men to add their voices to the fight for equality.
“Men can help as well by getting involved. We have to,” he said. “We need to get men’s voices involved as soon as possible.”
His wife added: “You guys all remind me so much of myself when I was growing up. I went to an all-girls school which was incredibly diverse as well. I think being around such empowered young women, it becomes something that you grasp onto to understand your world. It’s made you confident, wellspoken. You have an intention set to really do something to change the world, and you have to keep it up.
“You’re doing really, really good work and I’m so happy that we’re here. We give you our full support.”
“Don’t stop,” the Duke added. “Get more people involved, guys as well.”
The royal couple then moved on to meet young men and women from the In League In Harmony project from the National Rugby League.
The project aims to unite children from diverse communities to be “advocates for positive change”.
As one young man told the Duchess about his part-time job, she said: “My first job when I was 14, I remember taking out the trash, all sorts. It gives you a good work ethic, right?”
The Duchess did not say which job she was talking about, but she worked in a frozen yogurt store in her native California at that age.
The couple also spent some time on Bondi Beach. Charlotte Connell, who gave the couple floral leis to wear and is 23 weeks’ pregnant herself, said: “Meghan told me that pregnancy was like having jet lag.
“She said she was up at 4.30am doing yoga in her room as she couldn’t sleep,” said Charlotte.
“It’s a bit of a double whammy for her, she said, as she has both the baby and jet lag to contend with.”
Jessina Oakes, 26, a local resident, said she had raised the dangers posed by the internet to self-image with the Duchess, who appeared to suggest she was happy to have left social media.
The Duchess quoted the artist Georgia O’keeffe, who said: “I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free.”
In the afternoon, the Duke scaled the Sydney Harbour Bridge to raise the flag of the Invictus Games, which starts today in the city.