Meghan Markle Just Gave Her First Royal Tour Speech — and Got Personal About Her College Days
Meghan Markle just hit another major milestone: her first royal tour speech!
The Duchess of Sussex delivered a strong and inspiring speech to students and staff at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, on Wednesday. Meghan and Prince Harry were on hand to observe a cultural performance on the effects of climate change, before meeting students studying subjects from agriculture to women’s development.
As Meghan confidently took the podium, wearing traditional garlands and a pink printed Figue dress, she shared her own college experience after giving the traditional greeting: “Bula vinaka!”
“As a university graduate, I know the personal feeling of pride and excitement that comes with attending university,” she began. “From the moment you receive your acceptance letter to the exams you spend countless late nights studying for, the lifelong friendships you make with your fellow alumni to the moment that you receive your diploma, the journey of higher education is an incredible, impactful and pivotal one. I am also fully aware of the challenges of being able to afford this level of schooling for many people around the world, myself included.”
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“It was through scholarships, financial aid programs and work-study where my earnings from a job on campus went directly towards my tuition – that I was able to attend university. And, without question, it was worth every effort,” she continued.
“Everyone should be afforded the opportunity to receive the education they want, but more importantly the education they have the right to receive. And for women and girls in developing countries, this is vital. When girls are given the right tools to succeed, they can create incredible futures, not only for themselves but for all of those around them. And while progress has been made in many areas across the Commonwealth, there is always scope to offer more opportunities to the next generation of young adults, and specifically to young women.”
She went on to announce two new grants that support female staff members at the school.
She ended her speech by saying: “My husband Harry and I wish you all the very best of luck as you continue your studies and your work. Your efforts now will help to make a positive future for each of you and your communities at large.”
The event comes just one month after she gave her first public speech as a member of the royal family while hosting a palace event celebrating the special cookbook she helped create — and she didn’t miss a beat then either!
Before she became the Duchess of Sussex (and a film and TV star!), Meghan was a regular college student at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She double-majored in theater and international relations, and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Meghan‘s former professor, Harvey Young, who had her in his “Studies in Black Performance” class in the spring of 2003, told the Chicago Sun-Times that she was a “respectful” student and thought she had a lot of potential in the industry.
“She reminded me of a lot of our other very promising alumni, in that she was passionate about theater and really had a sense of self-confidence that you could imagine would allow her to weather the storms of the professional world,” Young said.
