Meghan Markle stepped out in an all-black ensemble for her first solo royal outing on Tuesday.
The Duchess of Sussex stopped by the Royal Academy of Arts to see its âOceaniaâ exhibit, which spans roughly 500 years and features over 200 works from Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia. Itâs an especially fitting exhibit for her to visit now, as she and Prince Harry are heading to New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Australia next month for a royal visit.
âMeghan is meeting curators, artists and descendants linked to the works displayed and will shortly view a performance by a MÄori cultural group,â royal commentator Omid Scobie reported.
The former âSuitsâ actress wore a black belted Givenchy dress with sheer sleeves, Aquazzura heels and a Givenchy clutch.
Givenchy is one of the duchessâ favorite luxury houses. Clare Waight Keller, the labelâs designer and artistic director, made her wedding gown and 16-foot silk tulle veil.
Kensington Palace announced another major âfirstâ for the duchess last week: her first solo project as a royal â a cookbook collaboration with a group of women affected by the 2017 Grenfell Tower fires. Meghan began volunteering with the women at the Hubb Community Kitchen in January.
On Thursday, just a few days after the cookbook project was unveiled, Meghan hosted her first royal event at Kensington Palace to celebrate its launch. She also brought along Prince Harry and her mother, Doria Ragland.
âTo the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this adventure with you,â the duchess said. âIâm so privileged to know you.â
âIâm so excited to see the projects that youâre going to continue to do in your own community, the community at large, and also how youâre going to inspire people globally by sharing your stories and your recipes,â she added.
Watch the rest of the moving speech below:
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