Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have returned to the UK this week and kicked off their visit attending the One Young World Summit.

Their attendance marked their first joint working engagement in England since stepping back from royal duties in March 2020.

Meghan, who has found herself in hot water lately with the release of her Archetypes podcast, gave the keynote speech at the event in Manchester on Monday evening.

"It’s very nice to be back in the UK, and it’s very nice to be back with all of you at One World," she began.

The Duchess of Sussex recalled when she first began serving as a counsellor with the organisation in 2014, when she was "young, ambitious, advocating for the things I deeply and profoundly believed in".

"Have any of you today so far had that feeling that pinch-me moment where you just go, ’How am I here?’ " she asked.

"It’s a lot, and at that dinner, there were about 20 to 30 of us counsellors, and there I was, the girl from Suits," she laughed.

Saying she saved her place card from the 2014 summit as "proof" that she belonged, she told the faces in the crowd they too belonged.

Meghan said when she attended the Young World’s flagship event in Ottawa in 2016 and London in 2019, her life and worldview "expanded exponentially". "Seeing the global community through the eyes of my child and I would ask ’What is this world he would come to adopt?’ and ’What can we do - what can I do to make it better?’"

She said: "I am thrilled that my husband is able to join me here this time, to be able to see and witness firsthand my respect for this incredible organisation and all that it provides, as well as accomplishes. One Young World has been an integral part of my life for so many years before I met him, so to meet again here on UK soil with him by my side makes it all feel full circle."

"We often hear people say ’The time is now,’ but I’m going to double down on that by saying your time is now. The important work can’t wait for tomorrow."
Tuesday will see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex fly to Germany, where they will attend the Invictus Games "One Year to Go" countdown event, before making their way back to the UK to attend the WellChild Awards on Thursday.

Harry and Meghan are staying at their home on the Windsor Estate that they retained after moving to the US.

Although they are close to the Cambridges, who has since relocated to Windsor, a royal source says Harry and Meghan, whose strained relationship with William and Kate is no secret, have "no plans for a meeting" with the two.

AE News