Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, opened her home and heart this Thanksgiving by hosting a dinner for the women of Mina’s List and the Southern California chapter of the Archewell Foundation’s Welcome Project. In a recent interview with Marie Claire, Markle explained why she finds it “really easy” to make people feel welcome, especially during the holidays.
Meghan Markle hosts holiday dinner to support Afghan women
The recent event was a part of the Welcome Project’s goal to support the creation of programming for women who have recently resettled from Afghanistan. There are currently 11 active Welcome Projects across the U.S. “designed to foster a sense of belonging through activities including sewing, art, hiking, swimming, photography, storytelling and cooking.”
“From my standpoint, I think part of why we wanted to make sure we had this opportunity to all be together again—so many of us—right now is that as the holidays come up, and have already begun in many regards, it brings up so much emotion for people,” the duchess said to the group as they bonded over Middle Eastern cuisine.
“You miss home, you miss your country, and also can find comfort in the new community that you have here. I’m grateful that we are able to be a part of that community.”
The Welcome Project, the duchess said, is meant to serve as a long-term solution for the many women who flee Afghanistan in search of a better life to be included, embraced, uplifted and connected when they find their new home.
“Whatever cultures are different, whatever traditions are different, there’s actually so much we have in common,” the duchess offered. “There’s a lot of joy in discovering each other’s new rituals too.”
It’s for that very reason the duchess said she finds it simple and natural to make people feel welcome. When asked what Americans can do to help women like those impacted by the work of the Welcome Project feel more at home, she recommended asking ourselves a question.
“It’s really easy. Just think about how you’d want someone to treat you,” she advised. “How would you want someone to open their arms to you?”
Inside Meghan Markle’s favorite holiday traditions with her family
The duchess also pulled back the curtain a bit on her own personal holiday traditions with husband Harry, Duke of Sussex, and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
“I love the holidays,” she said, adding that Archie and Lilibet are now “three and five, so every year it gets better.”
“At first, I think as a mom with children you’re just enjoying having them there, but they’re not understanding everything that’s happening yet,” she reflected. But now we’re at the age where I just can’t wait to see it through their lens every year.”
For Thanksgiving in particular, the dutchess described her family as “always pretty low-key,” and expressed her appreciation for being able to spend the day with her mother, Doria, who also resides in California.
“I was thinking about, in the past few years of having Thanksgiving here, like many of us, I think you always make sure there’s room at the table for your friends who don’t have family, which is really key,” the dutchess shared.
According to Markle, this thoughtfulness came in handy one year when feminist icon Gloria Steinem spent one Thanksgiving with the Sussexes.
“We’re always making sure we have something fun to do,” the duchess said of her favorite ways to spend special occasions. “Like any other family you spend time having a great meal and then what do you do? Play games, all the same stuff, someone brings a guitar—fun.”
