Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, gave her first speech on UK soil since stepping down as a working royal two years ago.
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The One Young World summit in Manchester
The Duchess of Sussex gave a keynote speech at the One Young World summit in Manchester, a charity she has been involved with since 2014. The last time Meghan spoke in public in the UK was in on International Women’s Day 2020.
According to the official website, the annual summit brings together young leaders from all walks of life working to accelerate social impact in person or digitally.
In her speech, Meghan recounted her first summit and feelings of inadequacy. She admitted to the audience that:
I wasn’t sure that I belonged. I was so nervous. I doubted myself, and I wondered if I was good enough to even be there.
She continued by saying that One Young World must have seen something in ‘the girl from Suits’ and that she sees the same thing in the audience: the present and the future.
She concluded her speech by telling the audience that this was their moment to ‘cement their place in history’ by working to ‘create a better tomorrow’.
David Jones, co-founder of One Young World, acclaimed the Duchess as an ‘incredibly powerful voice for gender equality’, Mail Onlinereports.
More harsh criticism
Speaking to CNN, Princess Diana’s former chief of staff, Patrick Jephson, predicted that the Sussexes' trip to the UK would receive mixed feelings. He explained that there would be warmth and support but also scrutiny.
In an opinion piece for INews, Dr Shola Mos-Shogbaminu warned readers that the media will likely ‘indulge in supposition, speculation and manipulation’ on how the Sussexes are allegedly harming the Queen or the deepening rift between Royal Family members with their UK trip.
Indeed, speaking to Mail Online. Royal author Phil Dampier pointed the finger at Meghan for ‘wanting to sound sincere’ and ‘using her acting skills’ when she commented on being back in the UK.
He slammed Meghan’s speech by saying it lacked ‘anything practical in terms of advice to fulfil their potential’. He also accused the Duchess of Sussex of using the summit as another platform to talk about herself.
"You are the future, but I would like to add that you are also the present. You are the ones driving the positive change we need across the world, now, in this very moment." - Meghan Duchess of Sussex.#OYWOpeningCeremonypic.twitter.com/gEt3YnnQ2i
— One Young World (@OneYoungWorld) September 5, 2022
Piers Morgan wrote a column in The Sunslatting the Duchess for hypocrisy, stating that it was 'preposterously absurd for a woman who married a multi-millionaire prince [...] to be involved in lecturing anyone about poverty and equality'.
Read more:
⋙ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's much-awaited UK arrival is here
⋙ Meghan Markle is holding back from revealing details about her senior royal experience, this is why
