For their first joint evening engagement Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the annual Endeavour Fund Awards at Goldsmiths' Hall.
The couple joined guests and nominees to celebrate the achievements of wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women who have taken part in remarkable sporting and adventure challenges over the last year.
A video of the couple arriving.
Camera flashes abound as the couple enter the hall.
In 2012, fuelled by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry’s passion for supporting the recovery of wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, the Royal Foundation created the Endeavour Fund. The Fund offers seed funding for sporting and adventure challenges and helps emerging initiatives with advice, hands-on support and mentoring. The fund plays an important role in ensuring that more servicemen and women have the opportunity to rediscover their self-belief and fighting spirit through physical challenges. It aims to help those that are hard to reach and to support activities that contribute to the participants’ recoveries – either through mentorship, qualifications or work opportunities.
Prince Harry and Ms Markle first attended a pre-ceremony reception where they met the inspiring nominees, as well as endeavour participants and key supporters of the Endeavour Fund.
Chatting with guests.
This video contains several clips from the reception.
Since its launch in 2012, the Endeavour Fund has supported 66 different projects that have directly assisted over 2,265 WIS. Through their own fundraising, these endeavours have collectively raised over £2.5million for other forces charities across the sector.
In the video below, Endeavour Fund alumni discuss what the chance to take part in Endeavour's work meant to them, and their recovery from being wounded, injured or sick. One competitor described competing in Harry's Invictus Games as "the best week of my life".
It's very much a case of Harry introducing Meghan to an organisation very close to his heart which he has been a part of from the very beginning. As Patron of the Fund, Harry has launched a series of programmes and events in their support. In November 2013, Prince Harry joined one of three teams of wounded servicemen and women to trek to the geographic South Pole for the Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge. Last year, Harry and William launched the inaugural awards with the plan for them to be held annually.
At the awards ceremony, the following three prizes were presented:
The surprise of the night came when Meghan took to the stage to present the Celebrating Excellence Award. Meghan said, "I'm truly privileged to be here", before going through the list of nominees. There was a mix up of sorts with the envelopes and it took a couple of minutes before Meghan could proceed listing the nominees. She took it in her stride and laughed it off.
More from The Telegraph:
Meghan presented the award to Daniel Claricoates, who took on some of the world's highest mountains to help his recovery from PTSD.
The Henry Worsley Award is named after the late Henry Worsley, who tragically lost his life in January 2016 whilst attempting to cross the Antarctic landmass, solo and unsupported. Henry, a career soldier and an experienced polar adventurer, undertook this incredible expedition in order to raise money for the Endeavour Fund. At the awards last year, William said: "The best way that we can thank Henry, the best way we can honour his memory, is to create a legacy. The award of a prize in his name is but a small part of this legacy, a gesture offered to show how much Henry meant to us. A much more significant and meaningful legacy can be fulfilled by you — the community for whom Henry sacrificed so much."
Sean Gane has won the Henry Worsley Award, after overcoming serious injuries to take on a dog-sledding expedition to Sweden. Prince Harry presented the award alongside Henry's children Alicia and Max Worsley.
During his speech, Prince Harry said “I’m continually amazed by the tenacity, fortitude and unshakeable humour displayed by the men and women who sign up to run races, cross oceans, climb mountains or take on challenges few would even contemplate.”
Goldsmiths' Hall was the ideal choice of venue. Positioned at the junction of Foster Lane and Gresham Street, north east of St Paul's Cathedral, the magnificent Hall, opened in 1835, is one of London's hidden treasures.
The Hall narrowly escaped complete destruction when in 1941 a bomb exploded inside the south-west corner. Faithfully restored on the exterior after the War and internally modified, it retains much of the charm of an urban palazzo. A major refurbishment which was completed in 1990 has further adapted this great building for the 21st century. Take a virtual tour of the Hall here.
Goldsmith's Hall is also steeped in royal history. Not only the location for Meghan's first evening engagement, it was the venue for Lady Diana Spencer's first official appearance following her engagement to Prince Charles; they attended a gala evening to raise funds for the Royal Opera House. The event was attended by Princess Grace of Monaco who offered Diana advice when she noticed she was overwhelmed about the attention she was receiving. The two had an instant connection with Grace taking Diana aside to the bathroom and telling her: "Don't worry dear, it will only get worse." Diana travelled to Monaco eighteen months later to attend Grace's funeral.
Harry and Meghan with the winners Ben, Daniel and Sean.
And a photo with all the nominees.
You can view the awards in their entirety below. You can see Meghan at roughly 1:36.
Harry and Meghan leaving the awards.
Meghan looked sharp, professional and chic in an impeccably tailored Alexander McQueen trouser suit.
Meghan's jacket is the £1,245 McQueen Grain de poudre wool blazer. It is described as "Made from grain de poudre wool, this satin-lined blazer has sharp peaked lapels, structured shoulders and angular flap pockets that draw attention to the smallest part of your frame."
The Meghan's Mirror team identified Meghan's pants as the £575 Grain de poudre wool straight-leg pants. They were tailored for Meghan, hence the cuffs on the bottom.
Meghan teamed the suit with the Tux Bodywear 'The Boss' pussy-bow silk crepe de chine bodysuit. (with thanks to Japanese Ginger). The £285 piece is available at Net-A-Porter.
A closer look at Meghan's black and pink Prada clutch (with thanks to The Royals and I).
The couple joined guests and nominees to celebrate the achievements of wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women who have taken part in remarkable sporting and adventure challenges over the last year.
A video of the couple arriving.
Loving the fact that Meghan is wearing a trouser suit this evening for @EndeavourFund awards pic.twitter.com/vuTSHKYbCV— Victoria Murphy (@QueenVicMirror) February 1, 2018
In 2012, fuelled by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry’s passion for supporting the recovery of wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, the Royal Foundation created the Endeavour Fund. The Fund offers seed funding for sporting and adventure challenges and helps emerging initiatives with advice, hands-on support and mentoring. The fund plays an important role in ensuring that more servicemen and women have the opportunity to rediscover their self-belief and fighting spirit through physical challenges. It aims to help those that are hard to reach and to support activities that contribute to the participants’ recoveries – either through mentorship, qualifications or work opportunities.
Prince Harry and Ms Markle first attended a pre-ceremony reception where they met the inspiring nominees, as well as endeavour participants and key supporters of the Endeavour Fund.
Chatting with guests.
This video contains several clips from the reception.
Since its launch in 2012, the Endeavour Fund has supported 66 different projects that have directly assisted over 2,265 WIS. Through their own fundraising, these endeavours have collectively raised over £2.5million for other forces charities across the sector.
In the video below, Endeavour Fund alumni discuss what the chance to take part in Endeavour's work meant to them, and their recovery from being wounded, injured or sick. One competitor described competing in Harry's Invictus Games as "the best week of my life".
It's very much a case of Harry introducing Meghan to an organisation very close to his heart which he has been a part of from the very beginning. As Patron of the Fund, Harry has launched a series of programmes and events in their support. In November 2013, Prince Harry joined one of three teams of wounded servicemen and women to trek to the geographic South Pole for the Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge. Last year, Harry and William launched the inaugural awards with the plan for them to be held annually.
At the awards ceremony, the following three prizes were presented:
- The Recognising Achievement Award - awarded to the individual who has best utilised their endeavour to promote and catalyse their recovery.
- The Celebrating Excellence Award - awarded to the individual who has endeavoured to achieve excellence in their chosen sport or adventure challenge.
- The Henry Worsley Award - awarded to the individual who has best inspired others through the demonstration of determination in the face of adversity, whilst endeavouring to support others with their recovery through sport or adventure challenge.
The surprise of the night came when Meghan took to the stage to present the Celebrating Excellence Award. Meghan said, "I'm truly privileged to be here", before going through the list of nominees. There was a mix up of sorts with the envelopes and it took a couple of minutes before Meghan could proceed listing the nominees. She took it in her stride and laughed it off.
More from The Telegraph:
'Ms Markle took to the stage to present the second honour of the night - the Celebrating Excellence Award alongside previous winner Neil Heritage. She said: "I'm truly privileged to be here."
But there were giggles from guests in the room as Mr Heritage struggled with the envelope containing the names of the nominees. Ms Markle smiled and laughed as she helped her co-presenter and the ceremony got back on track.'
Meghan presented the award to Daniel Claricoates, who took on some of the world's highest mountains to help his recovery from PTSD.
The Henry Worsley Award is named after the late Henry Worsley, who tragically lost his life in January 2016 whilst attempting to cross the Antarctic landmass, solo and unsupported. Henry, a career soldier and an experienced polar adventurer, undertook this incredible expedition in order to raise money for the Endeavour Fund. At the awards last year, William said: "The best way that we can thank Henry, the best way we can honour his memory, is to create a legacy. The award of a prize in his name is but a small part of this legacy, a gesture offered to show how much Henry meant to us. A much more significant and meaningful legacy can be fulfilled by you — the community for whom Henry sacrificed so much."
Sean Gane has won the Henry Worsley Award, after overcoming serious injuries to take on a dog-sledding expedition to Sweden. Prince Harry presented the award alongside Henry's children Alicia and Max Worsley.
Rebecca English reports:
An overview of the event.
'The couple also chatted at length with Joanna Worsley, widow of Henry Worsley, who tragically lost his life in January 2016 whilst attempting to cross the Antarctic landmass, solo and unsupported. Henry, a career soldier and an experienced polar adventurer, undertook his incredible expedition in order to raise money for the Endeavour Fund and was just 30 miles from the finish when he lost his life.
The couple's son, Max, said his mother had met Harry and his bride-to-be a few weeks ago when they met to decide the winner of an award in his name and memory. He said: 'Mum liked her very much and said she had said how delighted she was to be involved with tonight's event.'
Goldsmiths' Hall was the ideal choice of venue. Positioned at the junction of Foster Lane and Gresham Street, north east of St Paul's Cathedral, the magnificent Hall, opened in 1835, is one of London's hidden treasures.
The Hall narrowly escaped complete destruction when in 1941 a bomb exploded inside the south-west corner. Faithfully restored on the exterior after the War and internally modified, it retains much of the charm of an urban palazzo. A major refurbishment which was completed in 1990 has further adapted this great building for the 21st century. Take a virtual tour of the Hall here.
Goldsmith's Hall is also steeped in royal history. Not only the location for Meghan's first evening engagement, it was the venue for Lady Diana Spencer's first official appearance following her engagement to Prince Charles; they attended a gala evening to raise funds for the Royal Opera House. The event was attended by Princess Grace of Monaco who offered Diana advice when she noticed she was overwhelmed about the attention she was receiving. The two had an instant connection with Grace taking Diana aside to the bathroom and telling her: "Don't worry dear, it will only get worse." Diana travelled to Monaco eighteen months later to attend Grace's funeral.
Harry and Meghan with the winners Ben, Daniel and Sean.
And a photo with all the nominees.
You can view the awards in their entirety below. You can see Meghan at roughly 1:36.
Harry and Meghan leaving the awards.
Meghan looked sharp, professional and chic in an impeccably tailored Alexander McQueen trouser suit.
Meghan's jacket is the £1,245 McQueen Grain de poudre wool blazer. It is described as "Made from grain de poudre wool, this satin-lined blazer has sharp peaked lapels, structured shoulders and angular flap pockets that draw attention to the smallest part of your frame."
The Meghan's Mirror team identified Meghan's pants as the £575 Grain de poudre wool straight-leg pants. They were tailored for Meghan, hence the cuffs on the bottom.
Meghan teamed the suit with the Tux Bodywear 'The Boss' pussy-bow silk crepe de chine bodysuit. (with thanks to Japanese Ginger). The £285 piece is available at Net-A-Porter.
More from the product description:
Tuxe Bodywear founder Tamar Daniel told us that she was really inspired to bring an airiness to corporate dressing - "I re-imagined business classics with the promise of a comfortable tuck for staying power." Aptly named 'The Boss', this bodysuit is made from lustrous silk crepe de chine and has neck ties that can be left undone or knotted for a more polished look. The seamless briefs ensures they'll be undetectable under fitted skirts or pants.
A closer look at Meghan's black and pink Prada clutch (with thanks to The Royals and I).
Meghan's shoes are the Manolo Blahnik BB pumps (with thanks to What Meghan Wore).
Meghan accessorised with her Birks stacking ring.
And her $375 Les Plaisirs De Birks Gold Bar Earrings.
The Telegraph described Meghan's look as a "refreshing statement":
Meanwhile in Oslo, Meghan's future sister-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge also wore McQueen. It was a big night for the British brand!
A fantastic night filled with inspirational stories and deserving nominees and winners. It was great to see Meghan presenting an award. I thought she looked sophisticated and understated in her McQueen suit - a perfect choice for the largely informal feel of the event. What do you think of the event and Meghan's look?
Meghan accessorised with her Birks stacking ring.
And her $375 Les Plaisirs De Birks Gold Bar Earrings.
The Telegraph described Meghan's look as a "refreshing statement":
'It was a suit for the Suits star. Markle was attending her first evening engagement as fiancée of Prince Harry as the couple honoured members of the military at the Endeavour Fund Awards. But rather than sticking to the usual royal protocol of an appropriately feminine dress, the former actress wore a black tuxedo jacket, cream silk shirt and cigarette trousers which were also by McQueen; under creative director Sarah Burton, the British label is as renowned for its meticulous tailoring as its exquisite couture-level craftsmanship.
While wearing trousers is an everyday occurence for most women, it is a rare sight amongst the ladies of the royal family especially for more formal engagements. When Princess Diana began experimenting with Jasper Conran tailoring and even the occasional bow tie in the mid Eighties, it was little short of revolutionary. And from Markle today, it is just as much a refreshing statement.
Given that the Time's Up movement will continue to use the red carpet as a platform for protest at the BAFTA awards later this month, with actresses planning to wear black as they did at the Golden Globes, Markle's modest black outfit could also be a nod of support to the anti-sexual harassment campaign.'
Meanwhile in Oslo, Meghan's future sister-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge also wore McQueen. It was a big night for the British brand!
A fantastic night filled with inspirational stories and deserving nominees and winners. It was great to see Meghan presenting an award. I thought she looked sophisticated and understated in her McQueen suit - a perfect choice for the largely informal feel of the event. What do you think of the event and Meghan's look?