MEGHAN Markle beamed tonight as she and Harry joined Sir Bob Geldof on stage ahead of her first speech in Britain since Megxit.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex touched down in Manchester earlier today ahead of her keynote speech at the One Young World summit.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry beamed as they arrived at the summit tonight
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their way to the stage as they joined One Young World representatives from around the world
Tonight’s opening ceremony is the first public address Meghan has given since she and Prince Harry quit royal duties in 2020.
It is also the first time the duchess, who is a counsellor for One Young World, has been in Britain since the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.
Those attending tonight’s event – which brings together young leaders from more than 190 countries – were reportedly told to be in their seats at least an hour before Meghan took to the stage.
And the area was cleared 90 minutes before she and Prince Harry showed up, as part of a ring-of-steel security operation.
Earlier, the pair was spotted leaving the grounds of Windsor Castle for the event.
They then drove 25 miles to London Euston to catch a train up north.
The couple walked in through a side entrance of the station before making the two-and-a-half-hour journey to Manchester Piccadilly.
She and Harry will also meet a group of summit delegates doing “outstanding work on gender equality”, One Young World said.
Their brief European trip will also see them travel to Germany for the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 One Year To Go event, as well as the WellChild Awards in London where Harry will deliver a speech.
It comes just days after Meghan told The Cut magazine it takes “a lot of effort” to forgive and hinted that she can “say anything”.
The 41-year-old also claimed that “just by existing” she and Harry were “upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy” before they stepped down as senior working royals.
The couple are believed to have touched down on British soil on Saturday and they are staying just half a mile from William and Kate – though they reportedly have no plans to meet until after Harry’s bombshell memoir is released.
The book is due out later this year, along with the pair’s fly-on-the-wall documentary.
Security will be at the forefront of the prince’s mind as he travels from his home in California for the high-profile appearances.
The duke is bringing legal action over a decision to remove his taxpayer-funded official armed bodyguards while in Britain.
Greater Manchester Police said security for today’s summit had been “privately sourced” and its officers were not involved.
It means the couple will avoid any chance of hearing public boos, a smattering of which greeted them at the Queen’s thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral in June.
The Duchess of Sussex beaming at her husband in the back of a car
Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor for Manchester
