Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share news ahead of Duchess’ birthday

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have several causes close to their hearts and one of the most central ones is gender equality. So, just weeks ahead of the Duchess of Sussex’s 42nd birthday they will have been thrilled to help a report with this aim.

In an announcement on their Archewell website, it was confirmed that the organisation had supported Equimundo, a charity that aims “to engage men and boys as allies in gender equality” in releasing a new report. This report found a growing proportion of men assisting in childcare duties across the 17 countries that it surveryed.

Summarising the report, which can be read in full here, Archewell wrote: “The 2023 data shows that men are increasingly involved in caregiving and would like to increase their care work at home, although deeply ingrained social norms and a lack of supportive policies and power structures discourage them from doing so.

“The report recognizes care work as the bedrock of society, and calls for continued advancements towards gender equality. It also emphasizes the need for media representation that normalizes men’s caregiving roles.”

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It concluded: “The Archewell Foundation is proud to have supported this report, as well as Equimundo’s continued work to promote gender equality around the globe.”

The news comes just weeks ahead of the Duchess of Sussex’s 42nd birthday, and while Harry will likely spoil his wife on her special day, the celebrations will be mostly kept away from the public eye.

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But when Meghan was a member of the royal family, she had to mark her birthday in the public eye, often engaging on royal duties. For Meghan’s 36th birthday, the pair carried out conservation work with the charity, Elephants Without Borders. The couple were photographed walking together after stepping off a plane at the time, with Harry lovingly placing his arm around his then-girlfriend.

On Meghan’s 37th birthday – her first as a member of the royal family – she and Harry attended their friend Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks’ wedding in Surrey. The Duchess looked stunning in a colour block pastel midi dress from Club Monaco with a black Philip Treacy hat and Aquazzura heels for the occasion.

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For Meghan’s 38th birthday in 2019, the Duke shared a photo of his wife wearing a blue Veronica Beard dress during their royal visit to Tonga in 2018, on their now-inactive Sussex Royal Instagram account. He wrote: “Wishing HRH The Duchess of Sussex a very Happy Birthday. ‘Happy Birthday to my amazing wife. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!’ – Love, H.”

However, the pair were able to spend some private moments together, as days after the Duchess turned 38, her husband whisked her away to Ibiza for a private family holiday.