Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited the United Nations building to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Saturday as they kicked off the last day of their New York City tour, which will culminate in their appearance at Global Citizen Live.
The Sussexes left the luxury Carlyle Hotel in their cavalcade of gas-guzzling motor vehicles shortly before 11am Saturday morning and headed to the UN building in Manhattan. They were spotted leaving the building around an hour after arriving.
Their visit comes the same week as the 193-member world body’s annual gathering of leaders.
Meghan opted for a head-to-toe camel-colored outfit with a $4,214 cashmere Max Mara coat, wide-legged pants and matching shirt and stiletto court shoes, with her hair swept back into a smooth bun.
The duchess appeared to have missed the weather forecast for the day yet again with temperatures are expected to reach 76F in the Big Apple Saturday. Meghan, who hails from California where the couple now live, has opted for heavy coats throughout the trip to the East Coast.
Harry, meanwhile, sported a smart suit and dark tie for their meeting, with the couple wearing matching black face masks and carrying black portfolio briefcases.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited the United Nations to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
The couple were spotted leaving the UN building in NYC following the roughly hour-long meeting at the Manhattan offices
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the United Nations building for the meeting with the UN Secretary-General
Meghan opted for a head-to-toe camel-colored outfit with a $4,214 cashmere Max Mara coat, wide-legged pants and matching shirt and stiletto court shoes
The Sussexes left the luxury Carlyle Hotel in their cavalcade of gas-guzzling motor vehicles shortly before 11am Saturday morning and headed to the UN building in Manhattan
GLOBAL CITIZEN LIVE:
What is it: A concert which aims to raise awareness and money for a number of issues, including vaccine inequity, poverty and climate change
Performers: Jennifer Lopez, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello and Lizzo.
Time: 4pm through 10pm ET
Location: Central Park, NYC
What else: The NYC concert is one of seven concerts in Lagos, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, and Sydney as part of a 24-hour broadcast event starting 1pm ET
How to watch: Global Citizen’s YouTube page
The morning outing comes ahead of the concert in New York City’s Central Park where Meghan and Harry will take to the stage in a call for COVID-19 vaccine equity.
The couple has already been accused of tone-deaf virtue signaling during their Big Apple tour, where Meghan donned a $7,500 designer pant suit to visit children at a Harlem school where 94 percent are eligible for free school meals.
Now, this afternoon the Sussexes are expected to preach equity to a crowd that has paid between $240 to $268 for standard admission to Central Park’s Grand Lawn.
Of the tickets remaining Saturday morning Global VIP tickets start at $594 per ticket while Premium VIP tickets are $1174.
The Sussexes will join the star-studded set of artists, celebrities and world leaders for the concert which aims to raise awareness and money for a number of issues, including vaccine inequity, poverty and climate change.
Among the headline performers are Jennifer Lopez, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello and Lizzo.
Doors open for the concert at 2pm with the concert kicking off at 4pm through 10pm in Central Park. It is one of seven coordinated concerts across the world in Lagos, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, and Sydney as part of a 24-hour broadcast event.
All attendees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination to enter the outdoor event.
People can also tune in to watch the event live from 1pm on Global Citizen’s YouTube page.
Meghan and Harry’s appearance at the bash tops off their tour where they have mingled with the likes of New York lawmakers, UN officials, global health experts and Chelsea Clinton.
The couple have been staying at the luxury Carlyle Hotel – a favorite haunt of Princess Diana’s where the Royal Suite costs $8,800 a night.
The duchess, 40, and prince, 37, will address the crowds at the Great Lawn of Central Park about the importance of making vaccines accessible to everyone all over the world.
Vaccine equity has been a key focus of their three-day tour around the Big Apple, with the couple hosting a meeting on the topic with Chelsea Clinton and other health experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) offices in the United Nations (UN) building Thursday afternoon.
Meghan reads her book The Bench to children at a Harlem school Friday. Meghan and Harry are set to appear at Global Citizen Live in New York City’s Central Park Saturday
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry wrapped up their first day in the Big Apple Thursday by hosting a meeting on vaccine equity with Chelsea Clinton and other health experts (above)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will join the star-studded set of artists, celebrities and world leaders for the concert in Central Park (above)
The couple released a statement on Friday on the Instagram account for their non-profit Archewell saying they had partnered with the WHO to host a ‘dialogue on the urgent need to achieve global vaccine equity.’
They were joined by some of the ‘foremost leaders’ on public health, they said, adding that they are ‘eager to do our part’ to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Sussexes had been spotted emerging from the WHO offices at 885 Second Avenue in Manhattan late Thursday afternoon, carrying both WHO documents and documents featuring Archewell branding.
‘In this room, we had a number of the foremost leaders on public health, pandemic preparedness, scientific progress, and community building,’ the couple said in a joint statement.
‘Today’s meeting was a much-appreciated opportunity to learn from some of the most-respected experts who are working tirelessly to end this pandemic.
‘Building on ongoing conversations we’ve had with global leaders over the past 18 months, today further reinforced our commitment to vaccine equity.
‘We’re so encouraged by the spirit of collaboration we heard throughout our conversation and are eager to do our part.’
Meghan and Harry were joined at the meeting by Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the vice-chair of the Clinton Foundation.
Other attendees included: WHO assistant director-general Stewart Simonson, Director of Global Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services Loyce Pace, WHO Foundation CEO Anil Soni, WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the UN’s Under-Secretary General Winnie Byanyima.
Back in May, Meghan and Harry also pushed for vaccine equity, penning an open letter calling on the pharma giants behind the COVID-19 vaccines to support this policy and ensure the shots are available to everyone.
Their appearance at Saturday’s concert is just one stop along the couple’s tour of New York City.
On Friday, the couple paid a visit to PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school in Harlem where Meghan read to students from her children’s book The Bench.
The duchess sported a $7,500 designer pant suit and around $387,000 worth of jewelry for the visit to the school where 94 percent of children are eligible for free meals and 95 percent face economic hardship.
On Friday, the couple paid a visit to PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school in Harlem where Meghan read to students from her children’s book The Bench
Harry chats to a student in the playground as they gather to sit and listen to Meghan reading out her children’s book
Dressed in a $5,840 Loro Piana cashmere coat, matching $1,680 pants and shoes thought to be $665 Manolo Blahnik red suede pointed toe pumps, Meghan read aloud to the children who sat cross-legged on cushions on the ground.
She accessorized her look with around $387,000 worth of jewelry including her $350,000 engagement ring, a $4,500 diamond ring from her first public engagement with Harry as his fiancee, Princess Diana’s $23,000 Cartier Tank watch, a $6,900 Cartier Love bracelet, and a $3,000 Jennifer Meyer tennis bracelet.
While there was no expense spared for Meghan’s outfit for the visit – which designed to promote early literacy – data from NYC Department of Education reveals an estimated 95 percent of students at the public school fall on the economic need index.
The index means they face economic hardship, based on temporary housing, eligibility for public assistance and Census poverty rates.
A total of 94 percent of students are also eligible for free meals, according to Public School Review. This compares to 51 percent of students across the state.
Meghan and Harry donated copies of her book to the school, two garden boxes filled with vegetables and herbs, and stocked the school’s pantry with personal health and hygiene supplies.
They plan to donate a washer and dryer to the school as well so more children can have clean uniforms.
The duchess sported a $7,500 designer pant suit and around $387,000 worth of jewelry for the visit to the school where 94 percent of children are eligible for free meals and 95 percent face economic hardship
Meghan and Harry visited Harlem restaurant Melba’s where the couple spoke with owner Melba Wilson who told them of the restaurant’s struggle during the coronavirus pandemic
The couple appeared to have worked up an appetite during the visit as they then headed on to local soul food joint Melba’s for a bite to eat.
They dined without any other members of their entourage as they enjoyed Southern fried chicken and eggnog waffles, catfish with chipotle mayo, spring rolls with rice, black-eyed peas and collard greens.
Melba’s owner Melba Wilson later thanked the couple on the restaurant’s social media pages for a promised $25,000 donation towards the business’s COVID-19 Employee Relief Fund to help workers impacted by the pandemic.
Friday’s outing was a more relaxed occasion to the day before, where they rubbed shoulders with New York lawmakers and UN and WHO officials and paid their respects to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks at Ground Zero.
On Thursday morning, they first visited the One World Trade Center observatory where they met with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and de Blasio’s family.
While atop the One World Trade Center, Meghan said ‘it’s wonderful to be back’ in New York – following her last visit in September 2019 when she cheered on close friend and tennis star Serena Williams at the US Open.
The couple then parted ways with the officials and took a tour of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, joined by National September 11 Memorial & Museum President Alice Greenwald and Patricia Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropy.
The Sussexes visited both pools on the sites where the North Tower and South Tower once stood, reading the names of the victims inscribed on the memorials and taking a moment of silence by a wreath.
The Sussexes at the 50 UN Plaza with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield where they spoke about COVID-19, racial justice and mental health
The couple took a tour of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, joined by National September 11 Memorial & Museum President Alice Greenwald and Patricia Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropy Thursday
On Thursday morning they met with NY Governor Kathy Hochul (furthest left) and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio (next to Harry) as well as De Blasio’s wife Chirlane McCray, and the couple’s son Dante (furthest right) at the One World Trade observatory
They spent around 30 minutes inside the museum before being whisked back to their hotel for a quick pit stop and outfit change.
Around midday, they traveled to 50 UN Plaza for a meeting with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield on COVID-19, racial justice and mental health.
The ambassador described the meeting as ‘wonderful’ as she shared snaps of the trio chatting on sofas in a lounge area and then posing in front of UN branding.
Meghan and Harry then paid a visit to the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters at 885 Second Avenue, for their meeting with the global health experts.
That night, Harry was spotted in Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel chatting animatedly with the people at his table – with no sign of Meghan in sight.
Their tour of the Big Apple marks their first major public appearance since they shocked the world by announcing they were stepping down as senior working members of the royal family back in January 2020.