Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited New York City on Tuesday as part of an in-person summit to support World Mental Health Day for their Archewell Foundation.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to Manhattan for the first time since they were involved in a “relentless pursuit” through the city nearly five months ago.
Markle, dressed in an off-the-shoulder white pantsuit, discussed her paramount role in life: Being a mother to Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2.
“Being a mom is the most important thing in my entire life … outside, of course, being a wife to this one,” she said before gazing over at Prince Harry.
PRINCE WILLIAM’S NYC VISIT IS STARK CONTRAST TO PRINCE HARRY’S ‘NEAR CATASTROPHIC’ PAPARAZZI DRAMA
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the World Mental Health Day Summit in New York City on Tuesday. (Reuters / Mike Segar)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry chat onstage at Archewell’s World Mental Health Day Summit. (Reuters / Mike Segar)
“But I will say I feel fortunate that our children are at an age, again quite young, so this isn’t in our immediate future, but I also feel frightened by how it’s continuing to change and this will be in front of us.”
Markle added, “They say being a parent – the days are long, but the years are short, so it worries me, but I’m also given a lot of hope and a lot of energy by the progress we’ve made in the past year.”
The couple discussed how the internet and social media affect youth mental health at an event coordinated by their Archewell Foundation.
Carson Daly hosted the “Mental Wellness in a Digital Age” panel for Project Healthy Minds, which included special guest Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
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Markle, 42, tied up her dark-brown hair into a chic bun with loose tendrils cascading down her face, and she wore a simple gold chain necklace for the midday event.
Meghan Markle participates in a panel discussion about creating a safer online world for young people. (Evan Agostini / Invision)
Their attendance at the summit was a stark contrast to what unfolded after an event in May when the Duchess of Sussex received the 2023 Woman of Vision Award from Gloria Steinem.
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In May, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, attended the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards.
Markle, her husband and her mother were pursued by swarms of photographers for “over two hours,” which resulted in “multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road,” according to a spokesperson for the royal couple.
“Last night, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi. This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.” Their rep continued, “While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to Manhattan for the first time since they were involved in a “relentless pursuit” through the city nearly five months ago. (Reuters / Mike Segar)
Meghan and Harry listen during the World Mental Health Day panel. (Reuters / Mike Segar)
Markle and Harry then spent several minutes at a police station while waiting for the situation to de-escalate. Once it was safe, they left in a taxi driven by Sukhcharn Singh, according to the Associated Press.
“They were following us the whole time,” Singh told AP of the paparazzi, though he said he wouldn’t call it a chase. Instead of heading to a destination, they circled the block and went back to the police station.
The NYPD, which assisted Prince Harry and Markle with transportation, shared their account with Fox News Digital.
“There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging,” Julian Phillips, deputy commissioner of public information, said in a statement.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard,” he said.
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