Meghan Markle spent her morning meeting the residents of the Royal Variety Brinsworth House, a residential nursing home for those who worked in entertainment. The Royal Variety Charity itself 'assists those who have worked professionally in the entertainment industry and are in need of help and assistance as a result of old age, ill-health, or hard times,' Kensington Palace tweeted.
And Meghan, who's expecting her first child, had one particularly poignant conversation with a woman there who chose not to have children.
'Do you have kids?' Meghan asked the resident.
'No I don't, I had a career,' she replied.
'Yes, that I understand,' Meghan said.
Being childfree by choice or circumstance is something that can still have stigma attached. Responses like Meghan's that show acceptance and understanding are powerful in helping eradicate the shaming some women who opt out of motherhood receive. After all, before Meghan married Prince Harry, she was an actress who delayed starting a family to build her own career on Suits.
Meghan's visit to Brinsworth House today is her last announced event before Christmas, but the Duchess of Sussex is spending the holiday at Sandringham with the Queen and royal family. She and Prince Harry will go out for Christmas morning service with them in one of their last appearances of 2018.
In early 2019, Meghan is expected to announce the first charity of which she'll become patron. The Sunday Times reported this weekend that Meghan met with the Queen over tea last week to discuss which of the Queen's patronages she'll take over. And visits like Meghan's to the Royal Variety Charity's nursing home hint what kind of organizations she'll be advocating for in her royal work.
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she's not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
