Pregnant Meghan Markle made a rare TV appearance and an impassioned plea during the star-studded, pre-recorded Global Citizen's VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World special, which aired on Saturday, May 8.
Speaking in a video screened at the event, the Duchess of Sussex talked about her and Prince Harry's second child, a daughter, who is expected to arrive this summer, and how the coronavirus pandemic has affected women. This marked Meghan's first TV appearance since her and Harry's explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, during which they revealed they were expecting a baby girl, who will join big brother Archie Harrison, 2.
"As campaign chairs of VAX LIVE, my husband and I believe it's critical that our recovery prioritizes the health, safety and success of everyone, and particularly women who have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic," the duchess said in her video. "Women, and especially women of color, have seen a generation of economic gain wiped out."
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Meghan continued, "My husband and I are thrilled to soon be welcoming a daughter. It's a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world. When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and the support to lead us forward," Meghan said. "Their future leadership depends on the decisions we make and the actions we take now to set them up, and set all of us up, for a successful, equitable and compassionate tomorrow."
Meghan was filmed sitting outside in the garden of what appeared to be her and Harry's California home. She wore a red and pink floral-print Carolina Herrera shirt dress.
Harry also spoke at the concert at Los Angeles' SoFi Arena, appearing onstage in person. He called for fair distribution of vaccines around the world and also spoke about misinformation.
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"I understand why people are confused or don't know what to think or believe about vaccines," he said. "We are experiencing a viral pandemic alongside a digital pandemic. In today's world, we are so connected, like a vast nervous system, whether we're online or not and much like the virus, there are no borders online. So when vaccine misinformation and disinformation spreads, magnified on social media and in parts of traditional media, it exposes a collective threat to humanity."
