Meghan Markle has made her first TV appearance since her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The star-studded Vax Live concert took place last Sunday – before streaming on ABC, CBS, YouTube, and iHeartMedia radio stations on Saturday night.
While Prince Harry attended the event in-person, his pregnant wife made a virtual appearance on the night.
In her speech, the Duchess of Sussex said: “This year has been defined by communities coming together, tirelessly and heroically, to tackle Covid-19.”
“We’ve gathered here tonight as the road ahead is getting brighter, but it’s going to take every one of us to find our way forward.”
“Women, and especially women of colour, have seen a generation of economic gain wiped out. Since the pandemic began, nearly 5.5million women have lost work in the US, and 47million more women around the world are expected to slip into extreme poverty.”
—Duchess Meghan, #VaxLive pic.twitter.com/EU7QENYxYr
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) May 9, 2021
“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 disproportionally affected by this pandemic.”
“Women, and especially women of color, have seen a generation of economic gain wiped out. Since the pandemic began, nearly five-and-a-half million women have lost work in the U.S. And 47 million more women around the world are expected to slip into extreme poverty.”
“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,” the former Suits star 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, compassionate tomorrow. We want to make sure that as we recover, we recover stronger. That as we rebuild, we rebuild together. Thank you.”
Prince Harry also gave an impassioned speech at the event, saying: “Hi everybody. We are at a defining moment in the global fight against COVID-19.”
“Tonight is a celebration of each of you here, the vaccinated frontline workers in the audience and the millions of frontline heroes around the world.”
“You spent the last year battling courageously and selflessly to protect us all. You served and sacrificed, put yourselves in harm’s way and with bravery knowing the costs. We owe you an incredible depth of gratitude, thank you.”
“But we’re also coming together because this pandemic cannot end unless we act collectively with an unprecedented commitment to our shared humanity. The vaccine must be distributed to everyone everywhere.”
“We cannot rest or truly recover until there is fair distribution to every corner of the world. The mission in front of us is one we cannot afford to fail out and that’s what tonight is about.”
“The virus does not respect borders and access to the vaccine cannot be determined by geography. It must be accepted as a basic right for all and that is our starting point.”
“None of us should be comfortable thinking that we could be fine when so many others are suffering. In reality, and especially with this pandemic, when any suffer, we all suffer.”
“We must look beyond ourselves with empathy and compassion for those we know, and those we don’t. We need to lift up all of humanity and make sure that no person or community is left behind.”
Prince Harry at #VaxLive
pic.twitter.com/Mcrct9N8AD— TV Fanatic👑⚜️ (@TvKhaleesi) May 3, 2021
“What we do in this moment will stand in history and tonight, we stand in solidarity with the millions of families across India who are battling a devastating second wave,” the 36-year-old concluded his speech.
Meghan and Harry have been leading a coordinated drive across the private sector to raise critical funds for the vaccine-sharing program COVAX, to help ensure equitable access to the vaccine.
The event was the first large-scale music event for a COVID-compliant audience composed of fully-vaccinated frontline healthcare and essential workers.
Watch the full concert, which included performances from Selena Gomez and Jennifer Lopez, here:
On this week’s episode of the Gosscast, Goss.ie Founder and CEO Alexandra Ryan joins Goss.ie Editor Kendra Becker to chat through the biggest stories of the week.
The girls chat about the “disappointing” Line of Duty finale, Maura Higgins’ split from Chris Taylor, and the major Hollywood movie being filmed in Wicklow right now.
You can also listen to the podcast on all usual platforms, including Spotify and iTunes.
