The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit Sussex: All the details of Harry and Meghan's 1st visit
Meghan and Harry will meet with sexual abuse survivors during their visit.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first visit Wednesday to Sussex.
Prince Harry, dressed in a suit, and Meghan Markle, dressed in a green Hugo Boss leather skirt, arrived in Sussex in style, by helicopter. They were greeted with cheers from well-wishers in the area where Harry, 34, derives his dukedom.
The couple visited Chichester, Brighton and Bognor Regis in the county of Sussex.
Queen Elizabeth conferred the Duke of Sussex title on Harry on his and Meghan's wedding day, May 19.
Meghan, 37, is the first member of the royal family to officially hold the title of Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Sussex.
Honoring Meghan's roots, future charity work in Sussex
Harry and Meghan’s first stop was a visit to Edes House to honor the U.S. roots of Meghan, a California native. The newlyweds viewed a rare original copy of the Declaration of Independence. It is one of only two handwritten copies in the world. (The other copy is housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.)
The couple then visited the University of Chichester‘s engineering and technology park. Meghan and Harry have been strong advocates for promoting science and technology learning, particularly for young girls.
The third visit on their day-long itinerary saw Harry and Meghan take part in a royal rite of passage, a walkabout at the Brighton Royal Pavilion, perhaps the best-known landmark in Sussex. The pavilion is the former seaside palace of King George IV, Prince Harry's great-great-great uncle, and stands prominently in the seaside community of Brighton.
The couple later met with rape and sexual abuse survivors in a sign of what Meghan’s future charitable work may incorporate.
The shelter they will visit, the Brighton Survivors Network, is a community-based center that helps women surviving from rape, sexual trauma and domestic abuse and provides counseling and group therapy for victims trying to reclaim their lives.
The facility also provides a safe space for women to discuss their stories of abuse and harassment, emanating from the #MeToo movement. Meghan has described both herself and Prince Harry as feminists and served in 2015, before she met Harry, as a United Nations women’s advocate for women’s participation and leadership.
The couple’s final stop of the day highlighted the Royal Foundation’s mental health work and the Heads Together campaign, launched by Prince Harry, Prince William and Princess Kate.
Meghan and Harry met with young people at the Joff Youth Centre, a community hub for young people.
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