Meghan Markle, 39, was dripping in gold for her appearance at Global Citizen’s VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World! The pregnant Duchess of Sussex stunned in a red dress by designer Carolina Herrera, accessorizing with a poignant piece of jewelry: Princess Diana‘s gold Cartier Tank Française watch, worth $25,000. Meghan added her own $6,550 Cartier LOVE bracelet to the ensemble, along with another $5,000 gold bangle and a symbolic “Women Power Charm Necklace” by Awe Inspired. The $173 gold vermeil piece features a female Venus symbol and with a protesting fist, adorned with an amethyst stone.
The California native has been spotted wearing Diana’s watch on several occasions, which was believed to be a gift to the late Princess of Wales by her father John Spencer, the 8th Earl Spencer. Following her death in 1997, the watch was apparently kept by her son Prince William, who later gave it to Meghan’s husband Prince Harry. The watch later re-appeared in a black-and-white portrait of Meghan and Harry for TIME100 Talks in Oct. 2020 and Meghan was occasionally worn the historic piece since.
“We want to make sure that as we recover, we recover stronger; that as we rebuild, we rebuild together.”
—Meghan Markle at #VaxLive pic.twitter.com/8C5lkP2ia0— michelle (@ddarveyy) May 9, 2021
During her speech, Meghan revealed she and Harry are “thrilled” to welcome their unborn daughter who is due sometime this summer. “My husband and I are thrilled to soon be welcoming a daughter. It’s a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world,” she said on screen. “When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and support to lead us forward,” she added. The pair are also parents to 2-year-old son Archie. The appearance was significant for Meghan, who co-chaired the Vax Live event with Harry to encourage equal access for COVID-19 vaccines. While Harry appeared in person, Meghan’s appearance was virtual.
“The past year has been defined by communities coming together tirelessly and heroically to tackle COVID-19. And we’ve gathered tonight because the road ahead is getting brighter, but it’s going to take every one of us to find our way forward,” Megan also said. “As campaign chairs of VAX LIVE, my husband and I believe it’s critical that our recovery prioritizes the health, safety and success of everyone, and particularly women who have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic. Women, and especially women of color, have seen a generation of economic gain wiped out. Since the pandemic began, nearly 5.5 million women have lost work in the U.S., and 47 million more women around the world are expected to slip into extreme poverty.”