The Duchess of Sussex paid a hidden tribute to her son, Prince Archie, with her choice of accessories on Tuesday, as she co-hosted the first in-person event staged by the Archewell Foundation in New York City.
Meghan and Prince Harry marked World Mental Health Day on October 10 by hosting the "Archewell Foundation Parents' Summit: Mental Wellness in a Digital Age" as part of the Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Festival in Manhattan.
After visiting the Marcy Lab School together in Brooklyn earlier in the day, Meghan and Harry made a quick change into formalwear for the summit, which featured conversations with parents and reflections on how young people are navigating the digital age—with a focus on social media.
For the event, Meghan made a striking impression in an ultra-modern take on the classic pantsuit. The duchess wore an off-the-shoulder white blazer and matching wide-legged pants from American fashion label Altuzarra.
Meghan styled her hair in a classic updo style with trailing bangs, accessorized with simple gold jewelry with colored stones.
It was in her choice of jewelry that Meghan paid her tribute to Prince Archie, who was born in 2019 while the duchess and Harry were still living in Britain and working as members of the royal family.
Shortly after Meghan appeared on stage in New York on Tuesday, jewelry designer Sarah Hendler took to Instagram to identify the duchess' pair of sapphire and emerald earrings as a pair she had made specially for the royal.
"Meghan Markle today at the "Project of Healthy Minds" World Mental Health Day Festival in these special custom made Pave Center Spear Dangle Studs," she wrote, before going on to reveal a very touching link to the duchess' son and husband.
"I created each earring with birthstones of her first born Archie and Harry," Hendler wrote. "This #MentalHealthAwarenessDay Meghan shared her experiences and spoke on social media as a parent. In light of current world events this is an incredible reminder to check in with your friends and family, and with your own self."
The link to Archie on stage was particularly poignant, as during the course of the parents' forum, Meghan revealed her own fears as a mother for her two children (Archie and sister, Princess Lilibet, born in 2021), who will one day become social media users.
"I feel fortunate that our children are quite young, so this isn't in our immediate future but I also feel frightened by how it's continuing to change and this will be in front of us," she said.
"They say, being a parent, the days are long but the years are short. So it worries me but I'm feeling a lot of hope and a lot of energy from the progress we have made over the last year."
This is not the first time that Meghan has worn the Hendler earrings for a public event. In 2022, Meghan wore the pair for an appearance during Prince Harry's Invictus Games which were held in The Netherlands.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
