Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at Ripple of Hope Gala to accept ... trends now
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle beamed from ear to ear as they arrived at a glittering New York City gala on Tuesday night - when they will accept an award for the 'heroic' stance against 'structural racism' in the Monarchy.
The Sussexes are attending the Ripple of Hope Gala - an event for which tickets were being sold for up to $1 million each - to accept a human rights award from the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation, a prize that counts Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton among its former recipients.
RFK's daughter Kerry Kennedy revealed last month that she had chosen to honor Harry and Meghan for taking a 'heroic' stance against 'structural racism' in the Royal Family - comments that likely only served to drive an even bigger wedge between the Sussexes and the Monarchy.
News that the pair were set to be awarded the honor by the RFK Foundation, which is run by Kerry, ex-wife of disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, initially sparked bewilderment, even from within the Kennedy clan.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle beamed from ear to ear as they arrived at a glittering New York City gala on Tuesday night - when they will accept an award for the 'heroic' stance against 'structural racism' in the Monarchy.
Her brother, RFK Jr., admitted to DailyMail.com that he was left 'baffled' by the decision, saying: 'It's a bewildering choice but still an encouraging step up from 2020,' referring to Anthony Fauci, who won the award two years ago.
However, any confusion over the decision to present the couple with the humanitarian award quickly turned to shock when Kerry, 63, told Spanish news site El Confidencial that she had chosen to honor Harry and Meghan for their 'heroic' stance against the 'structural racism' of the Monarchy.
'They went to the oldest institution in UK history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they couldn’t have structural racism within the institution; that they could not maintain a misunderstanding about mental health,' she said.
Kerry went on to speak about her late father's visit to apartheid South Africa in 1966, saying that Harry and Meghan have the 'moral courage' that many people didn't to discuss racial justice.
'Few would have the courage to question their colleagues, family and community about the power structure they maintained, and this is what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have done,' she continued.
She doubled down on those comments at the gala this evening, telling the waiting press that she was 'proud' of Harry and Meghan for 'standing up' and 'talking about racial justice and mental illness'.
'They've stood up, they've talked about racial justice and mental illness in a way that was incredibly brave,' she said, adding that she was particularly impressed by Meghan's decision to speak out about her own mental health battles during the Sussexes' bombshell interview with Oprah last year - when the Duchess revealed that she had struggled with suicidal thoughts.
While Meghan and Harry made an appearance in New York, the Royal Family - including the Prince and Princess of Wales - threatened to 'out-glitz' them at a Buckingham Palace reception, which took place just hours earlier
The Princess of Wales wore a red lace dress by Jenny Packham with the Lotus Flower tiara she has worn on occasions before
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla arriving at the palace for the reception this evening
'For Meghan to get out there on national television and normalize a discussion about mental health is incredibly important and brave,' Kerry added. 'The issues around racial justice are also incredibly important. I'm incredibly proud of them.'
No doubt her remarks will have done little to heal the ever-widening rift between the Sussexes and the Royal Family -
