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Meghan Markle took to the stage to make her first public speech in the UK since she and Prince Harry stepped down as royals.
The Duchess of Sussex and her husband attended the One Young World summit, where Meghan was the keynote speaker.
Addressing the 2000 young leaders in attendance, from 202 countries across the world, she spoke about gender equality.
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She said: "It is very nice to be back in the UK and it is very nice to be back with you all at One Young World.
"The resounding spirit I believe you’ll hear is that you are the future. But I’d like to add to that. You are also the present."
The Duchess then spoke about when she had previously attended a One Young World summit in London, years after she first joined the panel of delegates in 2014.
"My life had changed significantly," she said. "I was now married, and I was a mom.
"My worldview had expanded exponentially, seeing the global community through the eyes of my child.
"What can we do, what can I do to make it better?"
Speaking of Harry, she added: "I am thrilled that my husband is able to join me this time to witness first-hand my admiration for this organisation."
She then went on to congratulate the assembled young leaders on their hard work, reiterating that they were the future, and recalling her past work with the organisation.
Closing the ceremony she added: "With that, it is my absolute honour and pleasure to declare this year’s One Young World summit officially open."
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This is the first time the Harry and Meghan have visited the UK since the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June.
The Duchess, wearing an eye-catching red dress, was grinning from ear to ear and was seen holding hands with her husband as they approached the stage.
Prior to Meghan's speech, Harry and Meghan were seen sitting centre stage on a bench alongside other One Young World counsellors.
Visits by the couple to the UK are relatively rare ever since Megxit in 2020, which saw the pair step down from their royal roles, move to Montecito, California, and sign lucrative multi-year deals with the likes of Spotify and Netflix.
However, as a "long-time supporter" of One Young World and a counsellor since 2014, the organisation is "close to [Meghan's] heart".
The opening ceremony of the One Young World summit, where Meghan spoke, featured a number of performances and speeches as it welcomed young people from across the world for four days of talks, discussions and panels.
And Meghan wasn't the only one to address the youngsters attending the event – leaders including the mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, also took to the stage.
He said: "We believe in young people here – we back them," before adding on a more jovial note: "We have a saying in Manchester – tables are for dancing on."
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