Meghan Markle praises former Irish president Mary Robinson
Meghan Markle has revealed that she has built a friendship with the former Irish president, Mary Robinson.
The Duchess of Sussex spoke about Mrs Robinson in Manchester last night as she made a speech at the One Young World summit.
One Young World aims to help young people achieve their biggest dreams, and to “raise the bar for what it is possible to achieve as leaders, individually and collectively”. Both Meghan and Mary are involved in the organisation.
During her speech, Meghan discussed the pair’s friendship, and disclosed that they first met at a previous summit in Ottawa in 2016. She described Mary as “one of the people I admire most”.
Meghan also revealed how overwhelmed and honoured she felt when she joined the organisation in 2014. "There I was, the girl from [legal TV drama] Suits," she detailed.
"I was surrounded by world leaders, humanitarians, prime ministers and activists that I had such a deep and long-standing respect and admiration for… And I was allowed in, to pull up a seat at the table,” Meghan marvelled.
"I was so overwhelmed by this experience, I think I even saved my little paper place-marker with my name on it,” she joked.
Meghan used this anecdote to prove to her young audience that if they work hard, they too can help to change the world. "Just proof: proof that I was there, proof that I belonged, because the truth was, I wasn't sure that I belonged,” she concluded.
Meghan attended the summit with her husband, Prince Harry, and she noted in her speech that they were both “thrilled” to be back in the UK for a visit.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in January 2020 that they would be leaving the UK and their royal duties behind for good. They now live in California with their two children, three-year-old Archie Harrison and one-year-old Lilibet “Lili” Diana.
The couple will be attending two other events this week – the launch of the Invictus Games 2023 in Dusseldorf today, and the WellChild Awards in London on Thursday.
It is believed that the couple will not be visiting the Queen in Balmoral during their visit.
