Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took a seven-car convoy around a single block to attend the World Mental Health Day Festival in New York City on Tuesday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left a garage near the Equinox Hotel in Hudson Yards, taking a left on 33rd Street in accordance with the one way street, only to end up in another garage on 33rd – 200ft from the first.
The eco-conscious couple’s convoy of seven gas-guzzling, blacked-out SUVs were flanked by NYPD escorts on the streets of Manhattan.
After the brief trip, the couple hosted a panel discussion at the World Mental Health Day Festival in what marks their first-ever in-person event for their charity, the Archewell Foundation.
The mental health summit, which saw the couple joined by Today show host Carson and US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, was the pair’s first joint appearance in New York since the ‘near catastrophic car chase’ they were caught up in back in May, after attending the Women of Vision awards.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex took the police-escorted convoy just one block to attend the World Mental Health Day Festival in New York City
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left a garage from 30th Street Hudson Yards to go around the block, in accordance with the one way street, only to end up in another garage on 33rd Street less than 200ft from the first garage
The convoy of seven blacked-out cars took the Duke and Duchess, pictured, around the block the mental health summit
Meghan, pictured arriving with Harry, attended a panel during the Project Healthy Minds second annual mental health day
In March 2020, Meghan and Harry announced that they would be withdrawing from social media altogether, issuing a statement on their Sussex Royal Instagram account that they wanted to find a ‘new chapter to understand how they can best contribute
Meghan is seen speaking in New York
Meghan looked delighted to be back in front of crowds speaking about a cause
Meghan went on to describe her role as a mother as the ‘most important thing in her life… outside of being a wife’ to Harry
The royal couple cut a serious figure as they discussed mental health
On this occasion, the pair appeared to have taken stringent steps to ensure their safety – with a marked NYPD escort accompanying their SUV fleet to the event.
The couple appeared unfazed on Tuesday and were all smiles as they arrived at the Hudson Yards venue.
Meghan, 42, arrived at the summit sporting a $987 white off-the-shoulder Altuzarra blazer with matching white pants and heels, while her husband, 39, donned a dapper navy suit.
However, the pair appeared to get emotional once the event kicked off, with both seen looking incredibly somber as the panel commenced – with parents who have ‘suffered tragic loss connected to their child’s social media use’ taking to the stage to share their stories.
They revealed during the event that they have been working behind the scenes with the parents for the past year in order to ‘create a community of shared experiences’, with Harry and Meghan taking to the stage later on in the event to thank all of the mothers and fathers who shared their stories.
‘I can’t start without thanking all of the parents, the mother and fathers that have been here today for being with us, physically here today, but also being on this journey for the last year, creating this community of shared experience,’ Harry said in a video shared by The Hollywood Reporter.
‘We know it’s not easy for you guys to be here so thank you very much.’
Meanwhile, Meghan admitted that she had been left in tears by some of the stories shared by the parents when they first met.
Meghan, 42, was seen sporting a glamorous white strapless pant suit as she arrived at the Hudson Yards venue for the summit, which will see the couple discussing social media dangers
The pair appeared to have taken rather stringent steps to ensure their safety – with a marked NYPD escort accompanying their SUV fleet to the event
Both Meghan and Harry appeared somber as they sat down at the event, which will see parents who have suffered ‘loss connected to their child’s social media use’
Dressed in all white Meghan, 42, met with Carson Daly met with second annual World Mental Health Day Festival and The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit
Meghan and Harry have often spoken about their own struggles with mental health
Meghan no longer has an active public social media account, however before she began dating Prince Harry, she was a prolific Instagram user, sharing regular updates about her life and her time working on TV show Suits with her two million followers
A large security detail accompanied the Montecito-based couple in New York City on Tuesday
Security personnel prepare to escort the Duke and Duchess of Sussex around the block in Hudson Yards, New York City
After the brief trip the couple hosted a panel discussion at the World Mental Health Day Festival in what marks their first-ever in-person event for their charity, the Archewell Foundation
The couple’s convoy of seven blacked-out vehicles were seen on the streets of Manhattan on Tuesday
‘A year ago when we met some of the families, not all of them, it was impossible to not be in tears as I’m sure so many of you have been today hearing these stories,’ she said.
‘You can hear these stories again and again and again, and it’s still going to have the same emotional impact because it’s just that devastating.’
Meghan went on to share her fears for her own children, who are growing up in an age when social media plays such a large part in everyone’s lives.
‘As parents, though our kids are really young, they’re two and a half and four and a half… but social media is not going away,’ she continued.
‘I think by design, there was an entry point that was supposed to be positive in creating community and something has devolved, and there’s no way to hear that and not try to help these families have their stories be heard.’
In a video shared by Huffington Post reporter Carly Ledbetter, Meghan went on to describe her role as a mother as the ‘most important thing in her life… outside of being a wife’ to Harry, before opening up about her concerns with regard to their kids Archie and Lilibet using social media.
‘Being a mom is the most important thing in my entire life… outside of course being a wife to this one,’ she said, when asked by Carson how much of a ‘priority’ social media safety is to her, as a mother of two young kids.
‘But I will say, I feel fortunate that our children are at an age, again, quite young, so this isn’t in our immediate future, but I also feel frightened by how it’s continuing to change.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left a garage from 30th Street Hudson Yards to go around the block and end up in another garage on 33rd Street to attend their mental health summit
Taking to the stage at the event, Meghan admitted that she had been left in tears by some of the ‘devastating’ stories shared by the parents who took part in the summit
Meghan opted for an all white outfit for the occasion
Harry and Meghan – who have both been open about their own mental health struggles – are seen
One fan took a video of Harry speaking
The Duchess is seen with Vivek H. Murthy on stage
Meghan discussed mental health and how parents can help their children
Meghan opted for a simple gold chain and white outfit for the day out
The Duchess of Sussex was typically expressive during the day out
Meghan looked delighted to chat to crowds during the summit
Meghan looked engaged while speaking on stage
Today’s event marks the latest time that Meghan and Harry have spoken out to issue warnings about the dangers of social media – with the Duke of Sussex penning an entire opinion piece in 2020 in which he warned that it is stoking a ‘crisis of hate’
In March 2020, Meghan and Harry announced that they would be withdrawing from social media altogether, issuing a statement on their Sussex Royal Instagram account that they wanted to find a ‘new chapter to understand how they can best contribute
Meghan cut a serious figure as she met with Carson Daly during the event in New York
The couple met with the surgeon general during Project Healthy Minds
‘And this will be in front of us. As they say, “Being a parent, the days are long but the years are short.” So it worries me, but I’m also given a lot of hope and a lot of energy by the progress we’ve made in the last year.’
Questions still remain over Harry and Meghan’s account of their last visit to the City in May.
A statement from the couple’s spokesperson described their car journey as being ‘near catastrophic’.
The spokesman said the couple, as well as Meghan’s mom Doria Ragland, were the victims of a ‘relentless pursuit lasting more than two hours’ at the hands of ‘highly aggressive paparazzi’.
The visit marks the first time that they have returned to New York since their May visit, when they say they were involved in a ‘near catastrophic car chase’
It has been suggested that they were trying not to be followed to where they were staying on the Upper East Side of the city.
However, New York police subsequently told NBC that they did not believe the chase was ‘near catastrophic’, instead describing it as a ‘bit of a chaotic scene’.
Julian Phillips, deputy commissioner of public information in New York also revealed that the NYPD ‘assisted’ the couple’s private security team.
Meanwhile, New York Mayor Eric Adams expressed empathy – describing the actions of the paparazzi as ‘reckless’ and ‘irresponsible’ – but said he would find it ‘hard to believe’ there was a two-hour high speed chase.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
247
