A Timeline of Meghan Markle and Gloria Steinem's Friendship
Meghan Markle and Gloria Steinem are close friends. Of Gloria, Meghan has said, "She reminds me that when you have anger, you have to channel that energy into something that makes a difference. That’s what activism is. It’s about how we show up."
Here's a timeline of Meghan Markle and Gloria Steinem's friendship.
They met after Harry and Meghan moved to California.
Vogue shares the origin story of their friendship as follows: "After Meghan learned that they were both sheltering in place in Montecito, California, she asked if Steinem wanted to help her make calls thanking voter-registration organizers. Steinem agreed."
Soon, the two started working together on get out the vote initiatives.
"Meg is herself, smart, authentic, funny, political. She came home to vote," Gloria told Access. "And the first thing we did and why she came to see me was we sat at the dining room table here—where I am right now—and cold-called voters. And said, 'Hello, I'm Meg,' and, 'Hello, I'm Gloria,' and, 'Are you going to vote?' That was her initiative."
In August 2020, they filmed a conversation about suffrage.
"I firmly believe that we vote to honor those who came before us and to protect those who come after us. Ms. Steinem, my friend Gloria, is one of the women I honor when I vote," Meghan shared.
In the conversation, Gloria told Meghan, "Welcome home. I’m so glad that you’re home!" To which Meghan responded, "Me too. For so many reasons. We’ve talked a lot these last few weeks. I keep thinking my goodness — I’ve looked up to you for so long! It’s wonderful to just be in your company, to learn so much and to feel inspired to be home. But also to help people remember why it’s so important to vote."
After Roe v. Wade was overturned, they also had a public conversation.
Gloria "reminds me that when you have anger, you have to channel that energy into something that makes a difference," Meghan said. "That’s what activism is. It’s about how we show up." She added, "I always look at things with the undercurrent of hope. If you are someone who truly believes that there can be something better, if you’re someone who sees injustice, you have a choice: You can sit there and be complacent and watch it, or you can say, ‘What can I do to get us to the other side of this?’"
Steinem said, "I think we need to remember that hope is a form of planning. If you’re not hopeful, you’ve given up."
In that interview, the two shared they were working on a plan to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
They were spotted getting lunch in July 2022 in New York.
After Prince Harry gave a keynote speech in honor of Nelson Mandela International Day at the United Nations, Meghan Markle grabbed lunch with Gloria at the Crosby Street Hotel in Soho.
Later in 2022, Steinem appeared in Prince Harry and Meghan's newest Netflix project, Live to Lead. (Watch a trailer above.)
Steinem presented Meghan with an award in May 2023.
Gloria Steinem, who co-founded the Ms. Foundation, presented Meghan with a 2023 Women of Vision award, for her global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls. "I think Meghan has been subject to the British tabloids," Steinem told T&C, "and so people may not know just how wonderful she is."
During her acceptance speech, Meghan said, "Thank you for the leadership that has brought all of us here tonight. And to my friend Gloria for the inspiration that you are, for your mentorship, your sage advice, your extraordinarily cheeky sense of humor, and of course, for your incredible friendship: Thank you."
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