The Duchess of Sussex has been named to a star-studded keynote panel for the opening day of the SXSW festival in Texas, along with actress Brooke Shields, author Katie Couric and pop culture expert Nancy Wang Yuen.
South by Southwest, also known as SXSW, is an annual festival that celebrates the convergence of technology, film, music, education and culture. This year it will take place between March 8 and 16 in Austin, Texas.
Meghan will headline the opening day, which falls on International Women’s Day.
The session, titled Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen, will also be moderated by Errin Haines, host of The Amendment podcast.
It will be the latest in a series of public appearances Meghan and Prince Harry have made in recent weeks, with the Duchess appearing via video link in London to open a new wing of an animal charity.
This was announced via the new Sussex.com website she launched with Harry, which immediately became controversial due to the prominence of the royal branding.
Earlier in February she made dumplings with Afghan female refugees, before a video of the visit was posted on the Archewell Foundation website last Monday.
The Duke and Duchess also recently returned from a trip to the slopes in Whistler, Vancouver, where Harry gave a series of US media interviews ahead of next year’s Invictus Games.
The Duchess of Sussex has been named to a star-studded keynote panel on the opening day of the SXSW festival in Texas
Brooke Shields is also mentioned in the keynote panel
And Katie Couric will also be at the annual festival in Austin, Texas
Meghan followed that up with another ski trip with her friends Kelly McKee Zajfen and Heather Dorak at Powder Mountain near Salt Lake City, Utah.
Hugh Forrest, co-president and chief programming officer of SXSW, said: “Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, Katie Couric, Brooke Shields, Nancy Wang Yuen and Errin Haines are the perfect finishing touches to eight days of remarkable keynote speakers.
“We are deeply honored to host this distinguished group on International Women’s Day for an important discussion on the importance of representation in media and entertainment.”
Meghan was chosen by SXSW because she and the other guests are seen as “visionary female leaders at the forefront of news, media, entertainment and philanthropy.”
They are also described as women “breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes and working to create a healthier society, both on and off our screens.” The Duchess of Sussex was named a New York Times bestselling author.
Meghan’s session will focus on “how the ubiquitous nature of social media creates an often dangerous environment that has led to serious mental health issues, especially for teenage girls.”
Previously announced speakers and panelists at this year’s festival include Selena Gomez, Kirsten Dunst and Sydney Sweeney.
The announcement of Meghan’s latest public appearance comes after a royal expert claimed the Sussexes could scare Americans with their “endless moaning” and attacks on the royal family.
Prince Harry and Meghan moved across the pond after leaving their positions as senior royals and leaving Britain in January 2020.
While trying to start a new life in the US, the couple starred in a Netflix docuseries, launched a controversial new website, released a book and conducted explosive interviews about the royal family.
Prince Harry and Meghan were pictured last month during their trip to Vancouver ahead of next year’s Invictus Games
Harry and Meghan at an Invictus Games event in Whistler, Canada, on February 14, 2024
In an effort to expand into the celebrity world, the Sussexes are often spotted at glitzy events, including the premiere of ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ in Jamaica in January.
But they were branded ‘insensitive’ for posing on the red carpet with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who wants to abolish the monarchy.
Last month, Harry said King Charles’ cancer diagnosis could have a “reunifying effect” on the family. He took a transatlantic flight to see his father at Clarence House on February 6, but they only met for about 45 minutes.
There were reports that Harry was willing to return to a temporary royal role to help the downsized monarchy, while Princess Kate was also recovering from abdominal surgery. But palace aides later said there was ‘no way back’ for Harry.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are scaring Americans with their ‘endless moaning’ and ‘attacks’ on the royal family, a royal expert claims
Speaking about the time Harry and Meghan have spent since leaving Britain, royal writer Angela Levin said even Americans are getting fed up with the couple’s “hypocrisy” and whining.
She told The Sun: ‘I think endless moaning turns Americans off because they like people who are go-getters more than people who blame everyone.
“They also don’t like the attacks on the royal family, especially because they loved and admired the queen so much.”