Meghan Markle pays tribute to children with star sign necklaces worn in 40th birthday video

Duchess of Sussex turns 40 years old on 4 August

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Wednesday 04 August 2021 16:09 BST
Comments
Meghan Markle releases video to mark her 40th birthday

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Meghan Markle has honoured her children with a sentimental piece of jewellery worn during her 40th birthday video.

On Wednesday, the Duchess of Sussex released a video in celebration of her birthday, in which she and Melissa McCarthy bantered before Meghan announced her new 40x40 initiative, which encourages individuals around the world to contribute 40 minutes to supporting women going back to work.

For Meghan’s portion of the video, which was seemingly filmed at her and Prince Harry’s home in Montecito, California, the duchess can be seen sitting behind a desk in her office dressed casually in a white tank top and a beige cardigan.

Meghan paired the look with a simple updo, a gold bangle and two silver necklaces reportedly featuring the astrological signs of her and Prince Harry’s children, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

For two-year-old Archie, who was born in May 2019, the duchess wore a Taurus symbol made of crystals, while Meghan wore a Gemini symbol for her newborn daughter Lilibet, who was born in June of this year.

On social media, fans of the duchess were already eager to purchase their own versions of the accessory, with one person tweeting: “The beauty...unmatched… Have we located the necklace yet squaddies? Sharing is caring.”

On the couple’s Archewell website, the duchess explained she had come up with the idea for the new birthday initiative while contemplating the importance of “time,” which she described as “among our greatest and most essential gifts”.

“In reflecting on my 40th birthday and the many things I am grateful for, I’m struck that TIME IS AMONG OUR GREATEST AND MOST ESSENTIAL GIFTS: Time with our loved ones, time doing the things we love, time spent learning, laughing, growing, and the sacred time we have on this earth,” Meghan wrote on the couple’s Archewell website. “Amongst the most valuable gifts of time is also time spent in service to others knowing that it can contribute to incredible change.

“To that last point, and with my 40th lap around the sun in mind, it made me wonder: what would happen if we all committed 40 minutes to helping someone else or to mentoring someone in need? And then what would happen if we asked our friends to do the same?”

The duchess then revealed that, for her birthday, she has asked 40 activists, athletes, artists and world leaders to participate in the initiative by contributing 40 minutes of their time.

“With this time, I hope they each help someone advance a professional life on her own terms, and, I hope that they inspire countless others to give 40 minutes of their time as well,” she explained.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in