Meghan Markle reads her children’s book to pupils during New York school visit

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex toured prominent landmarks during their first day in New York and staged a low-key school visit on their second
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting New York (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
PA Archive
Tony Jones24 September 2021

New York schoolchildren have welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to their playground on the second day of the couple’s Big Apple tour.

Meghan and Harry may have stepped down as working royals but they acted the part when they met youngsters from the Harlem school.

To promote literacy, the duchess read to the pupils from her first children’s book, The Bench, inspired by the relationship between her husband and son Archie.

Harry sat on the ground amongst the children under a marquee to listen to his wife read and watched as she held up the pages.

(left to right) Governor Kathy Hochul, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Mayor Bill de Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray and Dante de Blasio during a visit to the One World Observatory in New York on Thursday (Office of the Mayor of New York/PA)
PA Media

The Sussexes wore masks and smart casual clothes for the low-key visit which contrasted with their trip on Thursday to the One World Trade Centre, built on the site of the twin towers destroyed in the September 11 attacks.

When they first arrived at the Mahalia Jackson School, the royals were welcomed by two pupils, senior school staff and Meisha Porter, chancellor of the New York City Department of Education.

After being led into the playground, the duchess hugged an adult, presumed to be a staff member, who had called out “good morning” and was standing beside some children.

A mural of plants, flowers and insects made from coloured paper was on display in the playground bathed with September sunshine, and after taking a closer look at the artwork created by the children the Sussexes posed with them for a photograph.

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