Meghan Markle attends private breakfast with female leaders in Cape Town

Meghan Markle has shared images from a private breakfast event with female leaders in Cape Town.

Last Thursday, the Duchess of Sussex, 38, met with a number of women from across the political and social spectrum, at the High Commission in Cape Town, as part of the Sussex royal tour of South Africa.

While the event was included on the royal tour schedule, pictures of the event were not released on the day it occurred.

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But earlier today, the @SussexRoyal Instagram account shared three images from the breakfast of the royal and her guests.

The Duchess wore a black sleeveless top, a black-and-white striped midi skirt from J Crew and pointed black court shoes for the event. The skirt is available to buy for £145.

“On Thursday we convened a meeting of minds - a group of women ranging from a legendary anti-apartheid activist, female parliamentarians, professors, educators and policy makers to discuss the rights of women in South Africa,” reads a statement from the Duchess in the post’s caption.

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“In the lead up to this tour it weighed heavily on my heart to see the countless violations against women, and I wanted to spend my time on the ground learning about the situation at hand,” she adds.

Female leaders in attendance included 81-year-old former anti-apartheid activist Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, who helped lead a march of 20,000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against segregation in 1956, at the age of just 18.

Also present at the meeting was Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, who is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town; Dr Mamphela Ramphele - an anti-apartheid activist, medical doctor and former managing director of the World Bank.

Two politicians also attended the event: Lindiwe Mazibuko - the first non-white leader of the Democratic Alliance party - and Nompendulo Mkhatshwa of the African National Congress (ANC), who is one of the youngest women ever to serve in Parliament.

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The Duchess said in a speech during the event: "We can learn a certain amount from the outside, by tracking it through the news, but it's not the same as being able to truly understand what it's like on the ground.

"Much of my life I have been advocating for women and girls' rights, so this has been an incredibly powerful moment to hear first-hand from all of you.

"The leadership and strength shown by these women is remarkable, and at a time when the issue of gender and gender-based violence is at the forefront of people's minds, I hope their voices will resonate and not only give comfort but also create change.

"This is not just a South African issue, this is a global problem that can only find solution with the attention and work of everyone, regardless of gender, status, politics, race or nationality."

Yesterday, the @SussexRoyal Instagram account revealed Meghan Markle made a private, unscheduled trip to honour murdered South African student Uyinene Mrwetyana, leaving a moving message at the site where she was killed.

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