Meghan Markle and Catherine, Princess of Wales, issued strikingly parallel public messages this week, each invoking nature as a metaphor for personal and professional growth. The coinciding statements come amid major life milestones for both women-Meghan marking her seventh wedding anniversary with Prince Harry and Kate returning to royal duties following cancer treatment.
In the latest episode of her podcast, Meghan compared entrepreneurship to gardening. "OK, so I think you guys know, I really like being in the garden, and running a business, funnily enough, it's a lot like gardening," the Duchess of Sussex said. "Some seasons are for blooming. Others are for planting seeds, but most of the work, especially early on, it's tending to the soil."
Speaking with Cassandra Thurswell, founder of a sustainable beauty brand, Meghan emphasized the importance of foundational work. "It's the foundation. It's what everything is going to grow out of," she said. "With a strong vision and all of that care on the details, oh, that garden will grow."
The duchess added that bootstrapping a business requires patience: "Financing your own company forces a very different kind of rhythm. It invites you to choose patience over speed." Meghan also shared that her relationship with Thurswell dates back to 2009, when the two met through a mutual friend, and Thurswell helped style her for the final audition for Suits.
The podcast aired days after Meghan and Prince Harry celebrated their anniversary, which the duchess marked by posting previously unseen family photographs of Harry, Archie, and Lilibet on a noticeboard. Her embrace of nature echoed a recent initiative by her sister-in-law, Catherine, who launched her Mother Nature video series focusing on spring themes.
Kate made an unannounced appearance at a Buckingham Palace garden party on Tuesday, her first in two years. The Princess of Wales, now in remission from cancer, wore a butter yellow Emilia Wickstead dress and a floral Philip Treacy hat-an outfit repeat that included the same hat she wore to Meghan and Harry's 2018 wedding.
The timing of the event, and Kate's decision to wear the same hat, drew attention from royal watchers for its apparent nod to her estranged relatives. Kate had previously worn the hat again at Trooping the Colour in 2019. Her ensemble also featured diamond earrings she received from her parents for her 2011 wedding.
The garden party drew approximately 7,500 guests and included emotional moments, such as an appearance by the family of Liz Hatton, a 17-year-old aspiring photographer who died last November after meeting the princess at Windsor Castle. Holocaust survivor Steven Frank and 10-year-old fundraiser Tony Hudgell, a double amputee, were also among the guests.
Kate and Prince William greeted attendees from their various patronages and projects, including Homewards, Action for Children, and Ty Hafan. William's cousins, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall, were invited to accompany the couple as part of what Kensington Palace described as a focus on involving the younger generation of the royal family.
