'It is very nice to be back in the UK,' Meghan tells summit

Twitter

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, delivered her first speech in Britain since she and husband Prince Harry stepped down from their royal duties, telling a summit for young leaders that they were aiding "the positive and necessary" change in the world.

The speech came a week after publication of an interview with The Cut magazine in which she again voiced criticism of how she and Harry had been treated by the royal family, causing a stir in British newspapers.

"It is very nice to be back in the UK," Meghan said in the keynote address to the One Young World summit in Manchester, northern England, which Harry, Queen Elizabeth's grandson, also attended.

"You are the future, but I would like to add to that, that you are also the present. You are the ones driving the positive and necessary change needed across the globe now in this very moment."

Meghan recounted her first experience at the summit in 2014 when she was invited to be a counsellor at One Young World.

"I'm thrilled that my husband is able to join me here this time," she said, drawing cheers from the audience. "To meet again here on UK soil with him by my side makes it all feel full circle."

Harry and Meghan quit royal duties more than two years ago, and only made their first public appearance in Britain since then in June as part of Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

They continue, however, to attract huge media attention, not least because of the strained relationship between Harry and his elder brother, Prince William, and father, Prince Charles, the heir to the throne.

British newspapers said there are no plans for Harry to see William during his trip, indicating that the siblings have not yet been able to patch up their differences. That is despite Harry and Meghan's staying at their former home near Windsor Castle, only a stone's throw from the cottage to which William and his family moved last month, papers said.

Harry has also been engaged in a legal spat with the British government over his security, and in July won permission to challenge a decision to deny him and his family police protection when they were in Britain, even if he paid for it himself.

Harry and Meghan have relied on a private security team since moving to California, where they live with their two young children.

After the event in Manchester, the couple are to attend an event in Germany on Tuesday to mark one year to go until the 2023 Invictus Games for injured veterans, and an awards ceremony for seriously ill children in London on Thursday.

More from Entertainment

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • Afternoons with Helen Farmer

    1:00pm - 4:00pm

    Every weekday afternoon, Helen Farmer will help you to navigate the highs and lows of life in the UAE. Stay up to date with what’s happening and where to go.

  • The Debrief

    4:00pm - 7:00pm

    Join Dane & Lucy on Dubai Eye 103.8 for The Debrief from 4pm to 7pm, the perfect way to unwind after a busy day at the office.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Is There Sufficient House Supply In UAE

    Dubai’s current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market?

  • Noon's First Female Delivery Driver

    Glory Ehirim Nkiruka is Noon’s first ever female delivery driver. In her first ever interview, she explained why she loves her job, despite the heat!