Meghan Markle took centre stage as she joined actress Brooke Shield and US veteran reporter Katie Couric for a special panel at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Texas.
The Duchess of Sussex joined the line-up for the International Women’s Day event kicking off the Austin festival as a “visionary female leader” and bestselling author.
The event was presented by Meghan and Prince Harry’s Archewell Organization in collaboration with The 19th – a non-profit newsroom reporting on politics, policy and gender.
The panel, titled Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen, focused on the dangers and mental health issues facing teenage girls who regularly use social media platforms.
Her keynote speech falls in line with Meghan and Harry’s efforts to raise awareness about the need for stricter regulation to protect younger users from the dangers of social media.
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Meghan’s SXSW appearance is the latest in a series of public events the Duchess has undertaken in recent weeks linked to charities and causes she supports.
Last month, she appeared in London via video link to open the new wing of the Mayhew animal charity she first started to support when she joined the Royal Family in 2018.
Also last month, she joined female Afghani refugees that Archewell’s The Welcome Project has helped settle in the United States since 2023.
The Duchess helped a group of 15 women cook traditional from Afghanistan before sharing a meal with them and discussing “their personal stories and the support they find from this intergenerational group of women.”
