I’m counting down the days until Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding on May 19, but until then, the duo have been reshaping my literal couple goals with their multiple public appearances together. Meghan has clearly inserted a fun dose of American realness and relatability into traditional royal family procedures, and she proved this even more when speaking at the first Royal Foundation Forum alongside Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The charitable foundation, which William and Harry began in 2009, includes the group’s work for the mental health awareness organization Heads Together. Kate was inducted as a third patron of the foundation in 2011, while Meghan is expected to be finalized as a member following her wedding.
The public forum on Wednesday, having a theme of “Making a Difference Together,” was held in order for the two couples to share about their experiences working together and overseeing ongoing charity projects. While the topic of mental health was a highlight in the foursome’s discussion, Refinery29 reports that Meghan spoke about her wish to focus on women’s issues once she is an official patron of the foundation.
“I hear a lot of people speaking about girls’ empowerment and women’s empowerment…you’ll often hear people say, ‘you’re helping women find their voices,'” she said during the conversation. “And I fundamentally disagree with that because women don’t need to find a voice, they have a voice. They need to feel empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen.”
Prince Harry’s fiancée Meghan Markle says there’s “no better time” to “shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them, men included” https://t.co/002zKLxJH3 pic.twitter.com/D1aR6im1eV
— CNN International (@cnni) February 28, 2018
“I think right now in the climate we’re seeing, with so many campaigns, with Me Too and Time’s Up,” Meghan continued, “there’s no better time to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them — men included in that. It makes such a tremendous difference.”
Um, can we just make her a Duchess now? In a society that is often known for keeping a stiff upper lip when it comes to discussing difficult subjects, Meghan has displayed some much-appreciated honesty while assimilating to life in England. Given the fact that she’s been casually smashing the patriarchy since she was a kid, I have a feeling that she’ll work devotedly with some phenomenal women’s charities in the near future. Fingers crossed that Meghan is helping Princess Charlotte with her Rosie the Riveter Halloween costume next.