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Meghan Markle was dressed for comfort.
With their first royal tour of Africa as a family of three underway, the Duchess and Duke of Sussex kicked off their second day in the country outside at Cape Town’s Monwabisi Beach. The new mom was dressed for the outdoor occasion—and seemingly broke with royal tradition—by sporting a Madewell denim jacket layered over a white button-down collared shirt with black pants. The royal finished the look with Brother Vellies huaraches flats.
While a denim jacket is far from typical for an official royal engagement, the duchess is known to forge her own path in the fashion department, including her penchant for pants and darker hues.
Though it was far from typical for a royal, the look seemed to be the perfect fit for sitting on the grass with mentors from Waves for Change, an organization that promotes wellness “through surfing in communities impacted by violence.” The organization uses “surf mentors” who help young people through the water sport.
With Meghan and Harry present, the group held a “power hand” activity. “Today, we were stoked to share the power of Power Hand (a mindfulness activity for building positive self-identities) with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex! This mindfulness activity which uses the strengths-based approach helps us to feel calm, strong, and hopeful. We are beyond stoked to have the opportunity to showcase the work of our amazing #surftherapy mentors, and to have the support of such positive #mentalhealth champions! Thank you @sussexroyal and everyone else who joined us today!” Waves for Change shared on its Instagram account.
During the session, the royal guests were asked to declare their personal strengths, with Markle saying “parenting.” She also complimented her famous husband, calling him “the best dad.” He returned the favor, sharing she is “the best mum.”
Perhaps an emerging trend on this trip, the couple also got into the groove as they participated in a group dance with the members.
During the engagement, the couple also spoke with nearby press on the beach, Markle sharing what she thought was the most pressing global issue in regard to mental health stigmas.
“It’s just getting people to talk about it and talk to each other, right?” she asked. “And you see that no matter where you are in the world, if you’re a small community or a township, if you’re in a big city—it’s that everyone is dealing with a different version of the same thing.”
She continued, “Globally I think there’s a bit of a consciousness crisis, and so the fact we’re able to be here together to see on the ground so much good work that’s being done, just because people are willing to talk to each other about it and someone’s willing to listen is huge.”
Pointing out her former home, she added, “And that can apply to being here, certainly can apply to being in London, LA—doesn’t matter where you are, we’re all sort of trying to power through and find some optimism.”