Hello!

This event happened Friday, but pics were embargoed until yesterday evening and yada yada yada, we’re all here now!

This was a nice event; Meghan went to Robert Clark Upper School in Dagenham, which is where the strike that eventually led to Great Britain’s Equal Pay Act began. (The town, not the school.) The Sussex Instagram had a good explainer, and great pics:

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50 years ago, women in Britain won the right to equal pay. That monumental moment began with one courageous and inspiring group of women in a factory in Dagenham, England. In 1968, facing a pay settlement that declared them less skilled than men, the sewing machinists of the Ford Motor Company walked out on strike. In the face of great pressure, they stood firm, and two years later the UK Parliament was forced to pass the Equal Pay Act, protecting and supporting working women ever since. To mark International Women’s Day, The Duchess of Sussex visited Dagenham to meet with Geraldine Dear, one of the strikers, and spend time with students at the Robert Clack Upper School to meet the town’s next generation of female role models, and talk to young women and men about the women who inspire them. • “Being in Dagenham is incredibly profound. Because as you can see with Geraldine and the other women who had the strength to really stand up for something that they knew needed to be done. This is the best example of no matter how small you might feel, how low you may feel on the ladder or the totem pole, no matter what colour you are, no matter what gender you are, you have a voice, and you certainly have the right to speak up for what is right.” – The Duchess of Sussex A lifetime advocate and campaigner for gender equity, The Duchess joined a special assembly to celebrate this remarkable local story, as well as recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of all women around the world. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2020 #EachForEqual Photo © The Duke and Duchess of Sussex / Chris Allerton

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The whole event is very charming; there are some pics in the slideshow of Meghan embracing the Head Boy, Aker Okoye, and his facial expressions speak volumes. It’s really sweet, and I basically love him. Harper’s Bazaar has excellent coverage of this entire engagement; Meghan’s appearance at the school was very exciting and meaningful for these kids.

Outfit-wise, this look is Very Reasonable – the white blazer is a British brand, Me+Em, the Jennifer Chamandi shoes are VERY CUTE, and the bag (as usual for Meghan, whose Day Time Bag Taste is fab) is by Rejina Pyo. (We don’t have a credit on her Very Reasonable Trousers and I wonder if they’re her SmartWorks pants, hemmed? Someone is working on this right now, surely.) Appropriately, all these pieces were designed by women.

In other news: Harry and Meghan went to church with the Queen today, which (a) makes sense because when you come visit your elderly grandma, you likely go to church with her, and (b) feels like Queen indicating that she’s on good terms with the Sussexes. I wish I could see Meghan’s outfit better! (Tomorrow, we get the whole big family reunion.)

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