Meghan Markle steps out in gold to receive award in New York City
Meghan was accompanied to New York by her mom and Prince Harry.
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, sparkled in gold Tuesday night as she stepped out to accept an award in New York City.
Accompanied by her mom, Doria Ragland, and her husband, Prince Harry, Meghan received the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision Award at the foundation’s annual gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.
The Ms. Foundation for Women is co-founded by feminist icon and activist Gloria Steinem, a friend of Meghan's, who presented her with the award.
Meghan received the award for “her global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls." In addition to the duchess, other honorees at Tuesday's ceremony included Wanda Irving, co-founder of Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project, Kimberly Inez McGuire, executive director of URGE, and activists LaTosha Brown, Olivia Julianna and Rebekah Bruesehoff, who were recognized for their "impact on the gender justice movement," according to the foundation.
In accepting her award, Meghan told attendees, "Because of this foundation, so many of our youth have been instilled with self-worth and limitless possibility no matter their race, gender, class, sexual orientation, disability or age. Your collective work in pursuit of a world where every person is truly valued is nothing short of awe inspiring.”
“It’s never too late to start,” she also said in her speech, according to The Associated Press. “You can be the visionary of your own life... There is still so much work to be done.”
Since leaving their senior royal roles in 2020, Harry and Meghan, who now live in California, have directed their charitable work through their Archewell Foundation. Earlier this month, the couple met with teens involved with a Santa Barbara nonprofit organization to talk about mental health.
The Ms. Foundation's annual gala on Tuesday marked the first time Harry and Meghan have attended a formal public event together since Harry traveled to the United Kingdom for the May 6 coronation of his father, King Charles III.
Harry attended the coronation alone, with Meghan and their two children staying behind in California.
The duke, the fifth in line to the throne, attended the coronation service at Westminster Abbey, but did not join his family at other coronation events.
The date of the coronation was also the fourth birthday of Harry and Meghan's son, Archie.
Harry's presence at the coronation, and Meghan and their children's absence, came amid ongoing tensions between Harry and his father and brother, Prince William.
In January, Harry released a bestselling memoir, "Spare ," which publicly laid bare his family rift.
Prior to the coronation, ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy said it would have been both a "big statement" and a "big negative for Charles" had Harry skipped the coronation.
"Meghan not coming can absolutely be interpreted as a sign that not all is resolved between the Sussexes and the royal family," Murphy said. "There is kind of a partial endorsement from the Sussexes with Harry going."