Long before her role as Duchess of Sussex, successful acting career in US television show Suits, and her philanthropic efforts with UN Women, Meghan Markle had a very grounded upbeginning.
For her first engagement in Fiji, during her first official royal tour with Prince Harry this month, the mother-to-be had the opportunity to make her first speech, speaking to students at the University of the South Pacific.
During her visit, the former graduate of Northwestern University, opened up about the importance of education and her own hardships of funding herself university.
Speaking about the 'impactful' and 'pivotal' journey of education, the royal - who wore a colourful wrap dress by Figue featuring pom-pom and seashell details - revealed:
'It was with scholarships, financial aid programs, and work study from my earnings from a job on campus that went directly towards my tuition that I was able to attend university, and without question it was worth every effort.'
Meghan, who visited Rwanda with World Vision in 2016 to champion projects designed to remove barriers to education for girls, also spoke of the need to champion education as a right for the many, not a privilege for the few.
'And for women and girls in developing countries, this is vital,' she said.
Markle added:
'Providing them with access to education is the key to economic and social development, because when girls are given the right tools to succeed, they can create incredible futures—not only for themselves but for all of those around them. And while progress has been made in many areas across the Commonwealth, there's always room to offer more opportunities to the next generation of young adults and specifically to young women.'
In the speech, the Duchess notably used the British expression of 'university' rather than the American 'college', further shedding light on her gradual adoption of the British language since her move to the UK in 2017.
The royal graduated from university in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in theatre and international studies.
In the early days of her acting career, she financially supported herself by working part-time teaching calligraphy, gift-wrapping and book-binding at the Paper Source store in Beverly Hills in 2004-2005.
She also worked as a freelance calligrapher, writing the invitations for singer Robin Thicke and actress Paula Patton’s wedding in 2005.
Later in the day during her tour of Fiji, the Duchess of Sussex visited Suva market which supports the UN Women's project 'Markets for Change’. However, the visit was cut short amid security concerns as a result of the crowds.
Today marks the couple's penultimate day in Fiji before they move onto the third leg of their trip in Tonga.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
