40 AND FREE

The Duchess of Sussex enters her fifth decade brimming with confidence, full of ideas and decidedly in charge of her destiny

- NICI DE WET

IT WAS the question many were asking: how would Meghan Markle ring in her 40th birthday?

Speculation abounded that the Duchess of Sussex would have an “intimate party” for 65 courtesy of pal Oprah Winfrey’s party planner. There were also rumours Prince Harry would whisk his wife off somewhere nearby and quiet.

Then there were hopefuls who thought she’d release the first photo of baby Lilibet to celebrate her special day.

In the end, it was none of the above.

She heralded her new decade in a very Meghan way: by announcing a new global project to empower women. In her first appearance since giving birth to Lili on 4 June, the duchess appeared in a video posted on the Sussexes’ Archewell website in which she announced her new 40x40 initiative.

In the video, shot at the couple’s Montecito mansion in California, Meghan is dressed all in white, her ankles crossed prettily under a perfectly styled oak desk complete with velvety white roses and a quartz stone.

“Because I’m turning 40, I’m asking 40 friends to donate 40 minutes of their time to help mentor a woman who’s mobilising back into the workforce,” she says.

“Over two million women in the US alone and tens of millions around the world have lost their jobs due to Covid. And I think if we all do it and all commit 40 minutes to some sort of active service, we can create a ripple effect.”

THE duchess was joined via video call by actress Melissa McCarthy and the pair spent their time chatting, giggling and, in Melissa’s case, showcasing a variety of royal inspired headgear.