Meghan Markle has officially wrapped up her final royal engagements as she and Prince Harry step back from their roles as senior royal family members, and her last event was one of her most poignant yet.
On Thursday morning, the Palace shared a slew of new images from Duchess Meghan’s final official engagement in the UK before she flew back to Canada – a meeting with several scholars who are shedding light on sustainability and economic growth.
Held at Buckingham Palace, it was a full-circle moment for the Duchess, who attended in conjunction with her role as Patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
Indeed Meghan made clear her commitment and admiration for the Commonwealth nations – on her wedding day, she embroided her veil to feature florals from each of the 54 countries that are a part of it.
This week, the Duchess rounded out two years of active support for these countries, speaking to the students about how citizens can take action on various social and environmental issues.
Meghan spoke to Scholars who are shedding light on sustainability in Commonwealth countries.
(The Duke and Duchess of Sussex / Chris Allerton)
Meghan opted for a chic navy dress by Scanlan Theodore for the occasion.
(The Duke and Duchess of Sussex / Chris Allerton)The Scholars present came from 11 different countries, including India, Malaysia, Ghana, Pakistan, Nigeria and Cameroon.
After a frank discussion about their work and study around climate change, the Duchess told them: “Even though the groups are divided, everyone is connected because of this very holistic approach to tackling climate change.”
Sharing some candid moments from the event on Instagram, Sussex Royal’s Instagram page explained: “The Duchess, who also attended university with support of a scholarship, is a strong advocate of accessible education for all.”
The statement continued: “The Duchess has met and engaged with students, academics, and staff from ACU member universities across the Commonwealth to learn more about the vital work they do to address global challenges… The Duke and Duchess thank all those who are working to give access to education for all.”
Watch some of the highlights from the meeting below.
Meghan’s choice in outfit also hit close to home – she opted for a chic fitted midi-style dress by Melbourne-founded company Scanlan Theodore.
The seamless style featured a crepe knit fabric with short sleeves and a tie at the neck.
With a knack for selling out entire lines of clothing within moments of wearing them, Meghan’s dress (which costs AUD $420) is likely to disappear online pronto. Take a look at it here.
Meghan wore this sleek Scanlan Theodore dress for her final engagement as a royal.
(Scanlan Theodore)
Meghan provided us the perfect outfit inspiration in the seamless dress.
(The Duke and Duchess of Sussex / Chris Allerton)Meghan last wore a Scanlan Theodore piece back in 2018 when she toured Australia.
Attending the Invictus Games alongside Prince Harry, the newly married Duchess looked chic in another crepe knit design – a burgundy red peplum top.
Fans went wild over the style at the time, so we can hardly blame them for scrambling to see and purchase her new navy dress.
Looks as though they’re already selling it out quick smart!
Sizes quickly disappeared – but the dress does come in some other colours…
(Scanlan Theodore)
Meghan wore another chic burgundy Scanlan Theodore top back in 2018.
(Getty)Meghan’s event at Buckingham Palace marks the end of her duties as a senior royal for the next year and beyond.
She and Harry will formally transition into their financially independent life as of March 31, and will undergo a 12 month review period which will be overseen by the Queen to ensure the arrangement is agreeable for all parties.
The Duchess has reportedly now returned to Canada, where her 10-month-old son baby Archie has remained over the course of her trip back to the UK.
