Meghan Markle encouraged people to be the 'visionary' of their own lives at her first joint appearance with Prince Harry in 5 months
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry appeared on the red carpet for the first time in five months.
- On Tuesday, the royal couple attended Ms. Foundation's Women of Vision Awards in NYC.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first joint red-carpet appearance in five months at the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards in New York on Tuesday.
The couple was joined by Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, at the event hosted at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. Both Harry and Ragland were there to support Meghan, who was an honoree at the award ceremony.
While accepting the award, which was presented to her by Ms. Foundation co-founder and feminist icon Gloria Steinem, Meghan spoke of how the organization continues to inspire her, the Associated Press reported.
"It allowed me to recognize that part of my greater value and purpose in life was to advocate for those who felt unheard, to stand up to injustice, and to not be afraid of saying what is true and what is just and what is right," Meghan said.
"It's never too late to start," Meghan said. "You can be the visionary of your own life... There is still so much work to be done."
For the event, the Duchess of Sussex wore a strapless gold Johanna Ortiz midi dress constructed with metallic jacquard fabric. The sleek gown features a bustier-style bodice and a diamond-shaped cutout. Ortiz reshared images of Meghan wearing the dress on her Instagram, detailing that it comes from her FW Libertad collection.
It's currently sold out on Saks Fifth Avenue, but originally retailed at $1,850.
Meanwhile, Harry joined her in a navy-blue suit, a white shirt, and a light-blue printed tie.
Their NYC outing marked the first time the couple has been photographed together at a significant event since the Ripple of Hope Awards in December 2022, given that Meghan did not attend the coronation of King Charles on May 6.
The Duchess of Sussex received her Women of Vision award alongside the Black Voters Matter movement co-founder LaTosha Brown, who also said she acknowledged a need for more to be done in her own acceptance speech.
"Even pain has a purpose," Brown told the audience. "What's happening in this country right now, this isn't just a matter about what the Republicans or the Democrats are going to do. It really is a question about what is it that we're going to do collectively to lean into this moment of discomfort and recognize it as an opportunity to get it right because we haven't gotten it right."
Representatives for Johanna Ortiz and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.