Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to Appear at Separate Events on Opposite Coasts Next Week

Mar. 15, 2025

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at San Basilio de Palenque during The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Colombia Visit on Aug. 17, 2024 in Cartagena, Colombia.Photo:Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty

Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty

Prince HarryandMeghan Markleboth have planned appearances next week — albeit on separate coasts.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, will join Andrew Ross Sorkin for a conversation atThe New York TimesDealBook Conference on Wednesday, Dec. 4 in New York City, according to a spokesperson. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, is expected to attend the 2024 Paley Honors Fall Gala the same day, where she’ll help honorTyler Perrywith The Paley Honors Award, which is The Paley Center for Media’s highest honor. While both Harry and Meghan were on the hosting committee for their friend Perry, only Meghan will attend the event.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the 2024 CHLA Gala held at the L.A. Live Event Deck on Oct. 5, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Alberto Rodriguez/Variety via Getty

Alberto Rodriguez/Variety via Getty

During the conversation, Meghan called paid leave “a humanitarian issue” and spoke about how, from a young age, she “always stood up for what was right,” alluding to, at just 11 years old, calling out Procter & Gamble for a sexist commercial that advertised its Ivory dishwashing soap solely to women. After writing a letter to the company, it changed the slogan from “Women all over America” to “People all over America.”

“Even before I had any sort of privilege in my life — when my life and my lifestyle were very, very different — I always stood up for what was right,” she said.

Meghan Markle speaking at the DealBook Summit in 2021.NYT DealBook Summit

She also spoke to Sorkin about selling homemade scrunchies when she was young, saying, “I remember the feeling of knowing that I had done something. I had invested in myself and done this labor and been compensated for it. There’s a sense of pride that comes from that.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Meghan said, “There’s nothing wrong with talking about a woman’s success or her ambition or her financial prowess” — and added that men should be a part of the conversation, too.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends the “Keynote: Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen,” during the SXSW 2024 Conference and Festivals at the Austin Convention Center on March 8, 2024, in Austin, Texas.SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty

SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty

At one point in the conversation, Meghan urged Sorkin “not to read tabloids, because I don’t think that’s healthy for anyone.” She added, “Hopefully, one day they come with a warning label like cigarettes do. Like, ‘This is toxic for your mental health.’ ”

During the appearance,Meghan wore a poppy pin, which members of the British royal family traditionally wear each November to honor those who have lost their lives in war. Photographer Calla Kessler said of the accessory “I asked her about the poppy. It’s for Remembrance Day, to honor armed forces members,” noting that Prince Harry served in the British Army for 10 years.

Harry and Meghan’s separate, bicoastal appearances on Dec. 4 are reflective of theirnew dynamic, which a friend told PEOPLE in October is like “a twin-track approach.” Prince Harry is focused on his philanthropic efforts, while Meghan is leaning into entrepreneurial projects and commercial ventures — though they still have many projects they’re working on together.

“The Duke and Duchess have now hit their stride as individuals — not just as a couple,” a royal source told PEOPLE. “The Duke appears focused on his patronage work, and the Duchess focused on her entrepreneurial track.” The source added, “But there will be joint efforts around those cause-driven areas of work."

RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty

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The shift also reflects their commitment that one of them always stays behind in California with kidsPrince Archie,5, andPrincess Lilibet, 3. “What we are seeing is a functional and healthy relationship with two working partners, not the contrary,” the source said of the couple.

source: people.com