In her first public address since stepping down as a senior royal alongside her husband Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, attended the One Young World Summit in Manchester on Monday as a keynote speaker.
She began her speech by saying, "It's very nice to be back in the U.K."
Markle, who herself is a counselor, shared with the crowd a memory of her first summit in 2014. "In many ways, at the time, I was probably a lot like each of you – young, ambitious, advocating for the things I deeply and profoundly believed in – and also looking around and wondering, ‘How on earth did I get here?’"
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not dating at the time of her visit. Their relationship would not unfold until two years later.
Continuing, Markle said, "At that dinner, there were about 20 to 30 of us, for the counselors, and there I was, I was the girl from ‘Suits.’ and I was surrounded by world leaders, humanitarians, prime ministers and activists I had such a deep and long-standing respect and admiration for."
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Speaking candidly, the former actress explained, "I doubted myself and I wondered, wondered if I was good enough to even be there."
Markle, now a mother to Archie, 3, and Lilibet,1, noted how her views of the world have changed since becoming a parent. "My world view had 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?' I'm thrilled that my husband is able to join me here this time."
She expanded on the importance of the event, stating, "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 U.K. soil, with him by my side, makes it all feel full circle."
