Meghan’s powerful speech as ‘mother, wife, woman of colour and as your sister’

As part of a trip to South Africa, she met young women in Nyanga township, the so-called 'murder capital' of the country where one in 206 people are killed each year.

Meghan Markle gave a passionate speech today addressing township teenage girls ‘as a mother, wife, woman of colour and as your sister’.

In an usual step, she highlighted her position in the world as a ‘woman of colour’ for the first time since becoming a royal.

As part of a trip to South Africa, she met young women in Nyanga township, the so-called ‘murder capital’ of the country where one in 206 people are killed each year.

Meeting girls who were part of a female empowerment programme leaning self defence, Meghan said: ‘And just on one personal note may I just say that while I’m here with my husband as a member of the royal family, I want you to know from me I am here with you as a mother, as a wife, as a woman, as a woman of colour and as your sister.’

She made the point of telling the young women and others from the community it was her ‘first time’ in South Africa adding ‘you’re incredible and so powerful, because you’re all powerful’.

In a lighter moment Meghan, who told her audience she was making her first visit to South Africa, danced with some performers after one woman, Lilitha Mazana, 23, took her hand.

The dancer from the Nyanga arts centre said: ‘Meghan was a good dancer, she’s very nice. Her dancing is fantastic – I’ve been dancing 10 years.’

Harry also spoke, and said it was ‘incredibly important’ they started their 10-day visit in a South African township to learn about life in black settlements – which have seen increasing amounts of violence against women.

Campaigners took to the streets of Cape Town earlier this month, following a series of attacks that have shocked the African nation, to protest at what they claimed was their government’s failure to deal with the problem.

Meghan and Harry watched South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to his country following days of protests, when he acknowledged the African nation was facing a national crisis of violence against women.

The duchess said: ‘The work that’s being done here is to keep women and children safer, which is needed now more than ever, this is an issue which has been at the forefront of people’s minds here in South Africa and of course across the globe particularly over this past month.

‘Please know that my husband and I have been closely following what you’ve been experiencing here, as best as we can from afar.’

She added ‘everything that is being done on the ground is making the great change that you not only need but that you deserve’.

Harry told the audience: ‘Touching on what your president said last week – no man is born to cause harm to women, this is learned behaviour, and a cycle that needs to be broken.

‘So now, it’s about redefining masculinity, it’s about creating your own footprints for your children to follow in, so that you can make a positive change for the future.’

Gesturing to his head and heart the duke added: ‘To me, the real testament of your strength isn’t physical, it’s what’s up here and what’s in here. Your strength is in your spirit, which for me means honouring and protecting my wife, and being a positive role model for my son.’