Meghan Markle hosts first royal event with her mom by her side
During Meghan Markle’s first major event hosting at Kensington Palace, her mother Doria Ragland stood proudly by the Duchess of Sussex’s side.
Meghan on Thursday recognized the launch of Together: Our Community Cookbook, which features her foreword. The cookbook has 50 recipes by women who began cooking together after the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, according to The Huffington Post’s report on the event.
The women’s group is known as the Hubb Community Kitchen, which Meghan began meeting with in January. All proceeds from the book will support the kitchen.
“I immediately felt connected to this community kitchen,” Meghan said in a statement found on The Royal Foundation’s website. “Melding cultural identities under a shared roof, it creates space to feel a sense of normalcy — in its simplest form, the universal need to connect, nurture and commune through food, through crisis or joy — something we all can relate too.”
Meghan gave a speech at the royal event, Ragland and Prince Harry, with whom Meghan wed in May, watching.
According to ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship, Meghan spoke to the crowd for about 3 minutes without notes, thanking them for her first solo project.
Another reporter, Rebecca English of Daily Mail, captured Ragland’s simple greeting to guests: “Hi, I’m Meg’s mom.”
Meghan’s accomplishment received praise from another mom: Serena Williams. The tennis giant recognized Meghan on her Instagram page, writing within her post that she “could not be more excited about it and proud of you.”
Was mama Ragland proud?
“Head over heels,” she said.