Archie’s first tour appearance

Wednesday, September 25, 2019, Day 3 of the Sussex tour in South Africa: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor makes his first ever public appearance. It’s history!

In 15 years or so, if he’s allowed to be on whatever social media platforms exist at that time, he might do a #wbw or #tbt about the time his parents took him on tour, his very first tour, and the day he met Archbishop Desmond Tutu – Arch meets Archie. And he was a delight, a total rock star, giggling in his mother’s arms, and serving some adorable expressions for the camera. It’s super cute the way Prince Harry is talking to him here as they’re arriving. 

Look at this little guy – so much like his dad!

On top of all the excitement over Archie’s appearance, there was a sense of occasion here: Harry and Meghan said that they were “honoured” to be able to introduce their son to “one of the world’s great champions of equality”. And, of course, you cannot miss the significance, what this means for Meghan Markle, a woman of colour who’s now a member of the royal family, and that she’s with her son, seventh in line to the British throne.

So far on this trip, Meghan and Harry have spent their time highlighting the contributions of young people and organisations that support and empower women. On their first day, during her remarks, Meghan referred to herself as “a woman of colour” for the first time publicly since she joined the royal family.  

This was not lost on those who were present and those watching around the world – the Duchess of Sussex was proudly acknowledging her roots, understanding that she is now a symbol for millions around the world who share her background. 

After meeting with Archbishop Tutu and his daughter, Thandeka, Meghan headed off for her first solo engagements of the tour, first at Woodstock Exchange for a visit to a Tech Hub to learn about mentorship programs that support female entrepreneurs and then to mothers2mothers, an organisation that trains and employs women living with HIV as community health workers. By all accounts, it’s been a flawless trip so far. And that shouldn’t be a surprise. The Sussexes are GREAT at what they do, they are really, really great at their jobs. The schedule has been intense, they’ve been engaging on every stop, they’ve had serious meetings but they’ve also balanced those with fun and lighthearted moments, like dancing, LOL:

You can see it in the smiles, the photos that have been shared around the world, especially the ones of Harry and Meghan surrounded by young people, group shots with the sun bouncing perfectly off their faces as they embrace and are embraced in community. And through it all, they both look so at ease in their work and with each other, comfortable enough for this kiss to happen – signature Sussex PDA:

This has been a major charm offensive, so charming that even the UK tabloids haven’t been able to dump on it. And what’s even more encouraging is that, appearance by appearance, through the last couple of years, and tour by tour, they’re gaining confidence. Maybe that’s why they weren’t all that bothered during their summer of taking sh-t from those assholes, knowing that as soon as the tour came around, they could take back the story, and easily.