Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave her first speech in the U.K. since stepping back from her role as a senior royal over two years ago.
As she addressed delegates from over 200 countries at the One Young World Summit in Manchester, England, the Duchess said, “It is very nice to be back in the U.K.”
The duchess spoke to over 2,000 young delegates during her opening ceremony speech. “I see the world through my children and try to imagine how the world will be when they will be adults,” she said to the young leaders. “You are the ones driving the positive and necessary change across the globe now, in this very moment. And for that I am so grateful to be in your company today.”
Her speech stirred excitement among the audience at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on the first day of the summit, an event which brings together delegates and ambassadors from around the world to share new ideas to build a better future.
Over the next four days, the young diplomats will be joined by counsellors and influential people such as thinkers, politicians, and role models, to inspire and lead important conversations around issues including gender inequality, misinformation, conflict prevention, climate change, and the importance of ethical leadership.
In addition to being able to share with influential figures, attendees will also receive mentorship and make lasting connections. As founder Kate Robertson said at the opening ceremony, it is, “a summit with a power to change the world.”
Meghan has been an ambassador of the event since the 2014 summit in Dublin, Ireland, where she joined a panel discussion on challenging gender stereotypes and bias in the media. During her recent speech, the duchess described the “pinch me moment” she experienced attending her first summit.
“And there I was, the girl from Suits,” she said. “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.”
She added, “I was so overwhelmed by this experience, I think I even saved my little paper place-maker with my name on it. Just proof – proof that I was there, proof that I belonged, because the truth was, I wasn’t sure that I belonged.”
But Meghan explained “[One Young World] saw in me, just as I see in you, the present and the future. And I want to make that point because often times I speak to young girls about the years ahead. About what you will do, about what you will have to adopt to fix from previous generations and also what legacy you will leave. Too often in that, we neglect the point – you are doing it now. You, here, in this present moment, this is where it is all beginning.”
When she thanked the auditorium, Meghan received a gran applause, with the entire venue standing to clap and cheer for nearly two minutes after she returned to her seat.
Prior to speaking, Meghan and Prince Harry sat center stage to watch bearers carry the flags of each country represented at the One Young World Summit. For the first time ever at the event, a flag was waved for the Refugee Nations – an orange and blue design mimicking the colors often used for live vests and life rafts. It has become a symbol of hope since its introduction at the 2016 Olympics.
Next on the Sussexes’ to-do list, they will travel to Dusseldorf, Germany, where Prince Harry will launch a one-year countdown to the next Invictus Games. He’s scheduled to meet athletes taking part and make time for a brief press call, though journalists won’t be allowed to ask him questions.
The couple will be back in London for the annual WellChild Awards, celebrating the bravery of Britain’s seriously ill children and young people. Harry, a long-standing patron of the charity, will deliver a speech.
