Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have alway been big fans of holding hands, outwardly displaying affection and publicly supporting one another – and last night was no exception. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first red carpet appearance together in almost two years, since stepping down from their senior working royal roles, while attending the Salute to Freedom Gala.
The event run by the Intrepid Museum sets out to recognise "extraordinary leadership and honors the brave men and women who serve in defense of our nation". According to the museum's website, the gala also supports "educational experiences for over 30,000 students a year, free programs for veterans and military families, exhibitions, and the preservation of the historic artefacts and collections in the Museum’s care".
The Duke was in attendance to present the Intrepid Valor Award.
During the evening, Meghan and Harry – who both looked super sharp, might we add – also walked a red carpet together and as usual, appeared to be happy, relaxed and in sync with one another as they did so, holding hands throughout:
Meghan wore a dress in a poppy red colour, another subtle nod to the veterans being honoured (as well as her Royal British Legion poppy brooch), by designer Carolina Herrera. She teamed it with a slick, pared back bun and glowy make-up:
The back also featured a gorgeous bow detail (and yep, the couple are still holding hands in this snap too – adorable!):
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Recently, the couple have ramped up their public appearances somewhat, with Meghan having launched a new campaign hoping to introduce paid parental leave for both mothers and father in the US.
Earlier this week, she gave a powerful new interview to The New York Times DealBook Online Summit and was also challenged on the royal family's politically neutral stance by the interviewer – something she gracefully side-stepped.
When host Andrew Ross Sorkin questioned if Meghan's crusade to fight for a fairer deal was something causing her worry and asked if she has any "anxiety about being involved in politics", the Duchess replied that she doesn't see paid leave as a political issue but rather as a humanitarian one. Meaning, she doesn't believe she has broken any royal protocol (the Queen is famously not allowed to weigh in on anything political in public and the rest of the family have adopted the same position).
She was also asked if she's feeling much happier with her life nowadays, to which she replied in the affirmative.
Meghan, Harry, you guys both looked incredible last night!
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
