Meghan Markle Pays Emotional Tribute To Late Friend, Mentor Gloria Steinem In First UK Post After Returning

LONDON — Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has paid an emotional and deeply personal tribute to Gloria Steinem, the trailblazing feminist journalist and activist who died Sept. 2 at age 92, marking the first Instagram post Markle has shared since returning to the United Kingdom with her family.

Markle shared a three-photo carousel on Instagram Thursday, featuring images of herself and Steinem sitting together beneath a tree, a photograph of Steinem embracing a young boy believed to be Prince Archie, and a black-and-white photo of the two women together on a couch. The post was set to Dolly Parton's song "Just Because I'm a Woman," a choice that appeared to honor both Steinem and Parton, the country music icon who died Aug. 25, within the same tribute.

Markle opened her tribute by describing the personal, private side of her relationship with Steinem, distinguishing it from the public advocacy work the two women had shared over the years.

"Privately, she was even better than you would imagine — spending Thanksgiving with our family, introducing me to one of my best friends (forever the champion of female friendship), loving our children with her whole heart, counselling me during hard times, and giving extraordinary advice and perspective with a cup of tea and an unrivalled cheekiness and wit," Markle wrote.

Markle went on to share a specific anecdote she described as her favorite memory involving Steinem, recounting an encounter the activist once had with a stranger in New York City.

"But my very favourite story about GLO is when she was out one day in NY, and a woman approached her in absolute awe and said she wanted to introduce her young daughter to her (though she was embarrassed to say the young girl may not know who she was)," Markle wrote.

According to Markle's account, Steinem responded to the woman with characteristic wisdom.

"Gloria replied: 'It doesn't matter if she knows who I am. What matters is that she knows who SHE is,'" Markle wrote.

Markle closed her tribute with a heartfelt farewell to her longtime friend and mentor.

"Rest in peace, and rest in pride. Look at what you've done for all of us. Thank you," Markle wrote.

Elsewhere in the tribute, Markle reflected on Steinem's well-known philosophy that "we are linked, not ranked," a phrase Markle noted had also been inscribed on a bracelet Steinem once gave her, one she said she continues to wear proudly. Markle also expressed gratitude that Steinem had known, in her final weeks, precisely how loved and admired she was by those around her.

Markle and Steinem's friendship dated back several years and included both public advocacy work and more private moments of mentorship. The two previously appeared together in a widely shared 2020 video discussing the importance of women's voting participation, during which Steinem, then 86, welcomed Markle back to the United States following her and Prince Harry's move to California after stepping back from senior royal duties. During that same period, the two were also photographed together cold-calling voters from Markle's dining room table, an image that circulated widely at the time as an example of the pair's shared commitment to civic engagement.

Steinem's foundation confirmed her death in a statement shared through her official Instagram account, indicating she died peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by loved ones. Steinem, born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934, became one of the most influential figures in the American feminist movement over the course of more than five decades of activism, co-founding Ms. magazine in 1972 and advocating throughout her career for reproductive rights and the Equal Rights Amendment.

Markle's tribute arrives during a notable period of transition for the Duchess and her family, who recently relocated back to the United Kingdom alongside Prince Harry and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The timing of Markle's first public post since the move, dedicated entirely to mourning Steinem rather than addressing the family's return itself, drew attention from royal commentators and fans following the family's transition back to British life.

Separately, Smart Works, a charitable organization for which Markle has previously served as a patron, welcomed the Duchess and her family back to the country with a statement expressing enthusiasm about her return. The organization said it was "very excited to welcome the Duchess and her family back to the UK." Markle has also served as patron of Mayhew, an animal welfare charity focused on improving conditions for dogs, cats and the broader community it serves both in London and internationally.

Tributes to Steinem have continued pouring in from across entertainment, activism and political circles in the days since her death, reflecting the breadth of her influence across generations of feminist activists, journalists and public figures. Markle's tribute stands out among those public remembrances for its emphasis on the private, personal side of Steinem's relationships, offering fans and followers a more intimate glimpse into the mentorship and friendship the two women shared away from their more public collaborative work on issues including voter engagement and gender equality.

Markle has not yet publicly addressed her family's broader transition back to the United Kingdom beyond the tribute to Steinem, leaving open questions about how and when she might more directly discuss the family's relocation, their settling-in process, and their approach to navigating British public life following years spent primarily in California since stepping back from royal duties in 2020. For now, her first public post since returning has centered entirely on honoring the memory of a woman she has described as both a trusted mentor and one of her closest personal friends.