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Meghan Markle has revealed how her three-year-old daughter Lilibet, whom she has with husband Prince Harry, “found her voice.”
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, made the sweet comment about her youngest child on stage at an event for Afro Women and Power in Cali, Colombia, as part of her four-day tour of the country with Harry. During her speech to the panel, she spoke about the female role models in her life – including her mother, Doria Ragland.
“I find inspiration in the strong women around me, of course my mother is one of them,” she said. “My approach to things is less about fighting and more about how we present ourselves in a room and flood things with love, kindness and generosity.”
Meghan then expressed how she wants to inspire and support her young daughter, who already has quite a sharp mind.
“As a mother, I try to be a role model for our daughter, who found her voice at the age of three,” she said, laughing. “And we are so proud of that.”
Meghan then described how important it is for her child to have a voice of her own as the now three-year-old continues to grow up with supportive and influential adults in her life.
“As I said, create conditions where there is a ripple effect where young girls and young women know that if someone else encourages them to use their voice and they will be heard,” the royal added. “And they will create a different environment to the one in which so many of us grew up, where our voices were supposed to be quieter.”
The Duchess stressed her hope that young women and girls everywhere will be heard, while acknowledging how grateful she is to have had that opportunity in her youth. She also noted that her message is one of the goals of her and Harry’s Archewell Foundation, which they launched in 2020, months after they stepped down as senior working members of the royal family.
“I was very fortunate from a young age to feel like my voice was heard and I think that’s a luxury that a lot of young girls and women don’t often get to afford,” Meghan’s speech at the panel continued, as reported People. “For us and the work we do with the Archewell Foundation, the work we do as parents and I do as a mother is to make sure that young girls feel like their voices are being heard and that young boys are also being educated to listen and to listen to these young women as well.”
Meghan has spoken out about her family before, as she and her husband also have a five-year-old son, Archie. During an appearance at a school in Abuja, Nigeria, in May, Meghan spoke to young students about a remarkable conversation she had with her daughter.
“Our daughter Lili is much, much smaller than you. She’s about to turn three. And a few weeks ago she looked at me and just saw the reflection in my eyes. And she said, ‘Mommy, I see myself in you,'” Meghan recalled. “Oh, now she really meant that literally. But I felt those words in a completely different way. And I thought, yes, I see myself in you, and you see me in you.”
Meghan and Harry began their four-day quasi-royal tour of Colombia, which included visits to three cities, on August 15. When they arrived in the country, they were greeted by Colombia’s Vice President Francia Márquez, the first black woman to hold the office of Vice President.
Before arriving in Bogotá at 9 a.m. local time on August 15, Márquez said: “They will have the extraordinary opportunity to engage with leaders, young people and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress. In addition to these meaningful interactions, the Duke and Duchess will learn about Colombia’s rich heritage.”
The tour, which ended in Cali on August 19, also allowed the couple to further expand their work with the Archewell Foundation, particularly their efforts to combat the dangers young people may face online.
During their visit to several Colombian schools, Harry and Meghan discussed these dangers as well as the importance of mental health education.
