Meghan Markle gushed about her three-year-old daughter in a speech on ‘Afro women and power’ talk on the last day of her tour in Colombia with Prince Harry.
She said Lilibet “has found her voice and we are very proud of that” in the speech which the Duchess also used to pay tribute to her mother.
Meghan said: ‘I find inspiration in many of the strong women around me. My mother is one of them. Life is full of surprises and can be quite complex.
‘A lot of my approach to things has to do with less fighting and how to wash things with love, kindness and generosity.
“You see something that’s wrong and you go and fix it. Women are capable of multitasking and problem-solving. We all know how important representation is.”
She also said she encourages Lilibet not to “suffer in silence or even sit in silence if she wants to be heard at that time.”
Meghan speaks as part of the panel at the Afro Women and Power forum in Cali
Meghan (second from left) speaks as part of the panel at the Afro Women and Power forum in Cali
Meghan Markle on stage for debate on Afro women and power in Cali
Meghan opened her remarks at the debate by speaking in Spanish and calling Ms. Marquesa “my friend” before going on to pay tribute to Harry while continuing in English.
To a standing ovation she said: ‘I would like to start in Spanish because we are in your country, my husband and I, and I can feel this embrace from Colombia.
‘It’s incredible, thank you so much, because the culture, the history, everything has been like a dream on this trip.
‘I’m sorry if my Spanish is not perfect because I learned it 20 years ago in Argentina, but I’m trying here because I can feel this community and this feeling which is the best in the world.’
He added: ‘So thank you very much to the vice president, my friend, thank you very much.’
A Colombian journalist said: “Meghan saying ‘my friend’ like that is a very powerful statement and shows how close they have become. People will notice.”
Meghan then continued in English telling her childhood story about what it was like to write for Procter & Gamble. “I was very, very lucky at a young age to feel like my voice was heard,” she said.
“And I think that’s a luxury that many young women and girls often can’t afford.
Meghan speaks at the Afro Women and Power event in Cali today
Harry and Meghan greet people arriving for the debate on black women and power
Meghan appeared on Nick News after lobbying the manufacturer to change a 1993 TV ad for dishwashing liquid.
‘I was 11 years old and you might know this story. I had seen a commercial that I thought was sexist and I wrote a letter, several letters, about it. The commercial was changed when you were 11 and you realise very quickly that your little voice can have a very big impact.
“I think it creates the framework to feel empowered to use your voice, because you know you’re being heard.”
The Duchess often uses her childhood story in speeches and interviews, although questions have been raised about its validity in recent years.
The account was removed from a Vanity Fair cover story in 2017 after “fact-checkers raised questions about its accuracy,” according to a bio.
The anecdote was removed from the cover story “after consultation with P&G and advertising historians,” according to Tom Bower’s book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors.
