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Meghan Markle Just Appeared in Her First Instagram Story as a Royal


Meghan Markle has officially posted an Instagram Story. Well, sort of: The official @SussexRoyal Instagram account uploaded a Story on Wednesday, August 21, that featured the duchess beaming from ear to ear. According to the caption that went along with the Story, Markle was working behind the scenes on a shoot for the Smart Works capsule collection she’s launching for charity.

If you’re unfamiliar, Smart Works is a charity that helps unemployed women in the U.K. find work. Markle is working with four brands (Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw, and Misha Nonoo) on a workwear capsule, and all of those proceeds will go to Smart Works.

Wach the IG story for yourself, below:

Markle’s appearance on the shoot was a surprise, according to royals expert Omid Scobie. “I’m told that Duchess Meghan surprised the entire @SmartWorksHQ team when she showed up at the London shoot today,” he tweeted.

Enthusiasm for Meghan Markle‘s Smart Works collaboration is high. “Meghan is always thinking of innovative ways to raise money /resources for places. Her creativity is unmatched and her connects are equally impressive! I can’t wait to buy from this collection,” one person wrote on Twitter. “Hopefully it doesn’t sell out too fast.”

In a second Instagram Story post, @SussexRoyal doubled down on the mission of Markle’s capsule collection: “An initiative supporting the Smart Works collective, which will equip women entering the workforce with the key workforce with the key workwear essentials they need,” the brief caption reads.

It’s been a whirlwind year for Markle, who welcomed her first child with Prince Harry, Archie, in May 2019. She’s kept a relatively low profile since then, though this Instagram Story proves she is back in full work mode. This fall, she, Prince Harry, and baby Archie are slated to go on a royal tour of South Africa, Malawi, and Angola.



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The Bishop Who Appeared to Grope Ariana Grande at Aretha Franklin's Funeral Has Apologized


Aretha Franklin‘s eight-hour funeral in Detroit on Friday celebrated the life of the soul legend in A-list style, complete with a parade of pink Cadillacs and musical tributes from stars like Ariana Grande and Stevie Wonder. However, controversy erupted when Bishop Charles H. Ellis III, who was officiating the service, brought Grande onstage to perform in honor of the soul pioneer. As he introduced her, viewers watched in horror as he tightened a hand well above her waist—placing it instead around the side of her breast—and held her for an uncomfortably long time. After intense backlash from people shocked that they’d just apparently witnessed a woman groped in public, Bishop Ellis has now apologized, saying he didn’t intend to touch Grande inappropriately.

“It would never be my intention to touch any woman’s breast. … I don’t know I guess I put my arm around her,” Ellis said in an interview with the Associated Press. “Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar but again, I apologize.”

Ellis went on to say that he had embraced all of the performers: “I hug all the female artists and the male artists. Everybody that was up, I shook their hands and hugged them. That’s what we are all about in the church. We are all about love.”

Grande appeared uneasy as the bishop kept his arm on her and made a crack about her last name sounding like an item from a Taco Bell menu, a comment for which he’s also apologized.

“I personally and sincerely apologize to Ariana and to her fans and to the whole Hispanic community,” Ellis told the AP. “When you’re doing a program for nine hours you try to keep it lively, you try to insert some jokes here and there.”

Online, Twitter users were outraged: They launched a #RespectAriana hashtag and retweeted videos that captured the incident.

After the alarming introduction, Grande launched into a stunning cover of “Natural Woman,” reprising her performance on Jimmy Fallon’s show just after Franklin’s death. However, that moment was sadly overshadowed, too, as many people noted former President Bill Clinton watching her intently from behind. Grande had drawn attention for wearing a short dress to the event, and Twitter users quickly defended her, reminding the world that a woman’s outfit is never an invitation from men.

That these events unfolded at a funeral, of all places, is even more outrageous—especially because it was a service paying homage a woman who always lifted up women in her music. Ellis recognized that his behavior and joke had eclipsed what should have been a respectful memorial to Franklin, adding in his interview with the AP that “the last thing I want to do is to be a distraction to this day. This is all about Aretha Franklin.” Sadly, that wasn’t the case.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Just Appeared Together in Public for the First Time


Meghan Markle has already confirmed that she and Prince Harry are “really happy and in love“—but the world was still waiting on their public debut, something that’s not taken lightly in the royal world. We had a hint it was coming earlier this morning, and as it turned out, the reports were true: on Saturday, the ginger prince and the Suits actress both attended the Invictus Games, an international athletic competition for soldiers and veterans that’s being held in Toronto through Sept. 30.

Although they didn’t sit together—Harry sat next to First Lady Melania Trump, and Markle sat a few rows away next to her friend Markus Anderson, a consultant for the exclusive Soho House Group and the man who reportedly introduced the pair—this is the first time the pair have attended a public event together.

Markle wore a purple dress and purple leather jacket draped over her shoulders and stood with the rest of the crowd during the Canadian national anthem before cheering on the athletes. Harry, who was sitting one row behind Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, was seen smiling and talking to Melania, who he’d met earlier in the day, throughout the event.

PHOTO: Getty Images/Samir Hussein

Meghan-Markle-Invictus2

PHOTO: Getty Images/Karwai Tang

Prince-Harry-Invictus

PHOTO: Getty Images/Karwai Tang

In her October Vanity Fair cover story Markle predicted that she and Harry would one day bring their relationship out into the light. “I’m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time,” she said. “This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.”

It seems like they’re trying to have the best of both worlds: publicly confirming their relationship while also retaining some of their privacy. And honestly, good for them. As long as we have ample opportunities to watch this fairy tale romance unfold in real life, we’re happy.

September has been a month of important milestones for the couple. Earlier this month, Markle reportedly had her first meeting with Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. According to sources, that meeting “went well” and will “no doubt be the first of many encounters.” Considering good Harry would need the queen’s permission in order to propose to Markle, that seems like a good sign.

Related Stories:
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Have Reportedly Hit Another Relationship Milestone
Prince Harry Allegedly Suggested to Meghan Markle That They ‘Elope’
Meghan Markle May Have Just Hinted She’s Moving In With Prince Harry



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