Tuesday 14 June 2022

Meghan's Visit to Amsterdam Youth Organisation & A Message for the Hubb Community Kitchen

Many of us thought the Duchess of Sussex would use downtime in the Netherlands during the Invictus Games to champion causes close to her heart and that's exactly what she did. It's emerged, during the several days she spent there in April, Meghan made a very special visit to an Amsterdam based non-profit supporting girls and nonbinary youth.

Project Fearless is a space for any girl aged 9-14 in Amsterdam to "break stereotypes", "find their voice" and "create an impact". Founder Mérida Miller said: “We know our girls are ready to change the world, now we are just giving them the tools and space to do so." Courses are taught in Dutch and English, focusing on everything from kickboxing and skateboarding to ARTivism and more.

More from the organisation:

'Above all, we want to create a safe and inclusive community at Project Fearless. We welcome young people between the ages of 9-14 who identify with our mission and values to join our programs, including gender fluid, polygender and gender non-conforming people, as well as those who are currently discovering their identity. We’re aiming to build a truly open and accepting environment, so we ask all our participants to share their pronouns at the start of each course. That way, the whole Fearless crew can be addressed how they feel most comfortable.'

In a statement shared by the charity, Meghan said: "Safe, supportive spaces like Project Fearless allow girls the opportunity to express themselves, build each other up, gain resilience, and tackle new challenges."

In honour of Project Fearless' third anniversary, Meghan joined the organization's inaugural entrepreneurship course as a guest coach.

Founder Mérida told People: "The Duchess' visit was a brilliant way to celebrate the impact Project Fearless has made over the last three years, introducing the girls to an accessible role model who is making a difference and using her voice."

Supporting women and girls has always been at the core of Meghan's efforts.

Harper's Bazaar reports:

'Meghan has long been an advocate of women's rights. In 2015, she became a United Nations Women’s Advocate for Women’s Political Participation and Leadership. In 2017, she traveled around India with World Vision to meet girls and women being impacted by the stigmatization of menstrual health. In 2018, she gave a speech about women’s right to education while on a royal tour in Fiji with husband Prince Harry. And in 2019, she wrote empowering messages on bananas to women trying to free themselves of sex work or addiction and spoke on a panel for International Women’s Day at King’s College in London.'

Project Fearless strives to embody their mantra: Build. Make. Be.


 
The Duchess was effortlessly chic as always.

Meghan sported a silk crepe de chine blazer in 'sand' by Chloé (with many thanks to What Meghan Wore). Made in Italy, the piece is available in limited sizing at Cettire. Meghan also wore a black top and a pair of faux-leather trousers.

It appears Meghan wore her Paul Andrew 'Pump It Up' shoes, first seen in 2018.

Meghan accessorised with Diana's Cartier Tank watch.

Her Cartier Love bracelet.

The beautiful Cartier Collier Juste un Clou she wore at the Invictus Games.

And her Birks Bee Chic and Snowflake rings -- here pictured on the Duchess during Trooping the Colour 2018.

As you may know, today marks five years since the horrific Grenfell tragedy. The ladies of the Hubb Kitchen received a special message from the Duchess who reached out to a community reeling in grief and despair during her engagement to Prince Harry. On Facebook, a reflective message read: "Today is a day spent looking back, remembering and reflecting. I just found this picture of us all, on the day our cookbook came out. The Duchess had wrapped a book for each one of us and wrote a lovely message to each lady on the first page. Always very thoughtful, today we received a lovely voice message from the Duchess, being the 5 years anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy, asking how we are, about our children and families and giving us news of hers. Just being her beautiful kind self."

In other news, we should see the release of Meghan's podcast series Archetypes quite soon.

28 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting about Meghan's visit to Project Fearless during the Invictus games. This is so typical of her work ethic and her dedication to helping to empower women and girls.

    Also, thanks for letting us know about how lovingly the women at the Hubb Kitchen remember her, and about her voice message to them today on the 5th anniversary of this tragedy.

    Meghan will always be the wonderful person I've admired since I got to know about her.

    R

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  2. « Just being her beautiful, kind self » seems like a common thread across all Meghan’s public and not -so-public activities. My favorite Meghan story is her work with the women from Grenfell.
    Renee

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  3. Always looking for the good in others..... I love this woman

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  4. Beautiful and elegant meghan

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  5. I like Meghan neutral colour combination, always on point

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  6. A perfect example of classic outfit

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  7. I wasn’t even thinking of her outfit, but as some of you pointed out, her outfit at Project Fearless is on point for the event. The sand-colored blazer with black is perfect. I love her understated, always elegant style.
    Renee

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  8. Two lovely updates to Meghan's ever ongoing efforts to improve the lives of others. She is an inspiration to all despite haters continuing to hate.

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    1. Well said Zenza she has a very thoughtful soul her actions speak louder than the haters voices🥰

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  9. She sure is effortlessly chic. Love this look.

    Lizzy

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  10. Lovely post! -op

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  11. This is a lovely outfit, chic, stylish and elegant. The jacket particularly I love, cut and fit, perfect. Love the color combinations, this works well. The necklace is lovely, unusual piece, I love it.

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  12. Thanks to my favorite reporter that you are Charlotte: you know how to combine the useful + pleasant. Thank you for this article, we always need to learn with Meghan about her present or past commitments. Good day to all.

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  13. Meghan's compassion is extraordinary!

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  14. Meghan is always full of kindness to others, so inspiring and encouraging

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  15. In an ideal world, she could have visited the women on this trip. What does it for me in how she turned back the ends of the sleeves -- made ordinary into something special. And she really looks amazing.

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  16. Sadly, the haters got to work and the Hubb women had to close down their site. I could say more but I want this to be published. :)

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  17. This is a bit philosophical and I hope it's OK. It really affected me to see H&M so restricted, denied photos of their children with their grandfather, unable or unwilling to participate where every other royal and their children were welcomed. I have been struggling to be as kind as Charlotte and it has been hard. I am as diehard a H&M fan as are all these wonderful friends of Meghan's who remain so faithful to her. But all accounts show K&W to be just as kind and caring as H&M. I remember early photos of William holding and kissing George. Everyone who meets them say how humble and natural they are. And Kate did shake things up a bit, having an intact family who had each other's back, And bringing that family with her rather than leaving them behind. So I have been wondering what to think going forward. And I thought of how chaotic the lives of H and W were. Poor Diana being so unhappy. The "scandals." The divorce. And the children in boarding school. So different from the stable secure environment of Kate's family, where you have time to really develop a bond with family members. Then there was the guiding of W into his future position and the guiding of H to have the lifelong job of supporting someone else. It's a crazy situation, the royal family, one that demands a nephew cancel an uncle. I don't think the brothers were as close as we like to think they were. And I think the whole current situation occurred because neither Harry nor Meghan was suited for the role expected of them and Charles put the monarchy ahead of being a father. It's a bit like politics -- the spin you put on things can carry you in vastly different directions. Bit you have the family you were born into and the family you later make. I have lost hope of reconciliation and I hope Meghan avoids the UK except to see their friends and Beatrice and her family. Archie and Lili can find friends with her children. Harry has been keeping in touch with his grandmother via zoom and that's probably his best hope.

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    1. I had meant to say Eugenie and her family, but I thought it was interesting that Meghan's friend who was at Lili's party took the engagement photos of Beatrice. Perhaps H&M are friends with both cousins. And going to a whole new topic, Beatrice looked spectacular in her long pale green gown!

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    2. I do have to point out that the Middleton children also attended boarding school. That's what you do in the UK when you have money: send your children to top-flight boarding schools, like Marlborough, which is Kate Cambridge's alma mater. Otherwise, yes, her family life was apparently far more stable and warm than Diana's and those of Diana's sons, though the evidence is that Charles really did step up to the plate as a parent after Diana's death.

      Incidentally, on that subject, I haven't encountered any claims that the Markle divorce was particularly rancorous. Meghan Sussex seems to have grown up close to both her parents and lived at home until she enrolled at Northwestern. She attended a private day school but not a boarding school.

      Though as an alumna of a boarding school, I can assure you that they are not Dickensian horror shows for unwanted children. Far from it.

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  18. I don't know about polo, and I hope Harry/Nacho's team loss last week does not mean an end to weekly play -- and weekly shots of Meghan in her California shorts outfits. What I have enjoyed a lot was seeing them with friends and/or polo friends. Am I like a mother hen, worrying about them? Maybe, but it is satisfying to see that they keep old friends so well.

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  19. That's what I needed as an adolescent: classes in kickboxing and entrepreneurship. I wasn't non-binary/gender fluid, but a safe space like Project Fearless and the courses it offered would have helped me navigate a very difficult period in my young life. Glad to see Meghan Sussex continuing to support these programs, as she's done since well before she met Prince Harry.

    That's a gorgeous silk blazer; I've always admired the combination of beige or camel with black. Well done. However, any chance we'll get a bit of comment on MS's recent polo appearance? She was very casually dressed in denim, but I was sort of curious about her sandals.

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  20. very cool and a great cause. she looks beautiful

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  21. Seeing Meghan at occasions like this it still brings me some sadness at the missed opportunity for the work that was started and now not continued within the RF. I like the look on Meghan smart casual and appropriate with a little edgyness with faux leather pants. My only dislike is the necklace, I find the Just un clue necklace a bit off and I don't know why I dont mind the bracelets though, I'll have to read up about them to understand the reason for the nail as jewellery. It would have gone down well in the Punk era though ; )
    Sue in WA

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    1. Anon04:42 I also don't get the nail as jewelry ... but I did see somewhere that her version had some diamonds where the two ends meet. :)

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  22. The writer of this article called two women: Gloria Steinem and Meghan. I'm sure Meghan felt the enormity of being classed with Steinem.
    https://www.vogue.com/article/gloria-steinem-duchess-of-sussex-jessica-yellin-roe-v-wade

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