Meghan Markle took her most fashionable step as she celebrated International Women’s Day in true Hollywood style by appearing on a celebrity-packed panel at SXSW.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, joined actress Brooke Shields and veteran news presenter Katie Couric on stage at the prestigious festival, where she led a panel discussion on “breaking barriers” and “representation of women”.
Beaming with pride as she took to the stage, having been introduced to the crowd as Megan, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan took a seat alongside her fellow panellists, before launching into a passionate discussion about the importance of greater gender equality.
The Duchess began by gushing about her “excitement” about joining the panel, before touting the numerous women-focused initiatives she and Prince Harry work on through their nonprofit, the Archewell Foundation.
Meghan Markle took her most fashionable step as she celebrated International Women’s Day in true Hollywood style by appearing on a celebrity-packed panel at SXSW.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, joined actress Brooke Shields and news presenter Katie Couric on stage at the prestigious festival.
When asked about the Archewell Foundation’s decision to fund a recent report calling for “true representation” of mothers on television, Meghan explained that she and Harry had chosen to get involved in the project for “three key reasons.”
“My husband and I, our foundation helped fund it because I think from our point of view, and certainly from mine, there are three key reasons to look at the information that they were going to get from this report,” she said.
‘I’ve always loved understanding women and their stories and our lived experiences and our shared experiences. Often, as women, the way we see ourselves is reflected back to us, sometimes accurately and sometimes inaccurately, in the media.
The festival announced Meghan’s participation on the panel earlier this week, introducing the duchess as a “visionary female leader,” while noting that she and her fellow guests would discuss “breaking barriers” and “challenging stereotypes” as they spoke. on the “representation of women in the media.” and entertainment’.
“The representation of women in media and entertainment has come a long way, but there is still much to be done, especially for women of color and mothers,” says the SXSW blurb about the panel, titled Breaking Barriers, Giving shapes narratives: how women lead inside and outside. the Screen – read.
“The pervasiveness of social media has increased the risks, creating an often dangerous environment that has led to serious mental health problems, particularly for teenage girls.
‘On International Women’s Day, we will hear from feminist and advocate for human rights and gender equality, New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of the Archewell Foundation and Archewell Productions Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex; Katie Couric, Emmy Award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author; Brooke Shields, two-time Golden Globe-nominated actress, model, businesswoman and New York Times bestselling author; and author, sociologist, pop culture expert, and Peoplism diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant Nancy Wang Yuen.
South by Southwest, widely known as SXSW, is an annual festival celebrating the convergence of technology, film, music, education and culture, taking place March 8-16.
Meghan’s panel session, according to organizers, will be presented by her and Harry’s Archewell Foundation in collaboration with The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom that reports on gender, politics and politics.
It is understood that Meghan and Harry arrived in Austin on Thursday, when they were seen dining at the city’s Soho House in a sweet throwback to their first date, which was enjoyed at one of the London private club’s venues.
The happy couple was spotted by onlookers, who told People that they seemed “happy and in great spirits” during dinner.
‘Harry was very cheerful throughout dinner. “They were very low-key and seemed happy to be surrounded by the happy vibes of the lively place,” the anonymous passerby told People.
The Sussexes’ night out came almost exactly eight years after they enjoyed their first date at Soho House in London, a night they enjoyed so much they even returned the next day, when they are believed to have taken some intimate black and white photos. black. photo of themselves laughing together in a photo booth.
Harry spoke about his first date with his wife in his extraordinary memoir, Spare, admitting in the tome that he had actually arrived late to the venue, much to his horror.
“Red-cheeked, puffing, sweaty, half an hour late, I ran into the restaurant, into the quiet room, and found her sitting in a small corner on a low velvet sofa in front of a low coffee table,” he said. she wrote, before going on to say how “beautiful” she thought Meghan was upon seeing her for the first time.
The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry were spotted at Soho House Austin on Thursday night ahead of their star-studded panel appearance on the opening day of the SXSW festival.
“I had seen so many photos of her at fashion shoots and on television, all glamorous and shiny, but there she was, in person, without frills, without filters… and even more beautiful,” he said.
Harry’s appearance at the festival came just a day after a judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security to hand over sensitive material about the Duke’s immigration documents so it can review them and decide whether to make them public.
The development came after a Washington, D.C., court hearing last month in which Judge Carl Nichols heard from DHS and the Heritage Foundation, which is seeking to make the material public.
The Heritage Foundation is seeking release of the documents as part of a Freedom of Information request it filed last year following Harry’s confession in his memoirs and in the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary that he had taken drugs.
His admission raised questions about whether the Duke was completely truthful in his immigration paperwork, which requires those entering the US to answer “yes” or “no” to the question: “Are you or have you ever been a drug addict or addict?”
If the duke didn’t tell the truth on his entry forms, a border agent could remove him from the U.S. or ban him.
In the latest update, Judge Nichols told DHS that its arguments so far were “insufficiently detailed” for him to make a decision.
He asked the agency, which oversees immigration, to give him statements explaining the “particular harm” that would arise from disclosure of the Duke of Sussex’s visa application.