Harry And Meghan Hint At Future Plans In Passionate Speech

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just won an award. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex received the Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) organization on December 6 at a New York gala. The award honors those who have been committed to social justice, human rights, equity, and sustainability, per the organization's website. Some of the fellow laureates include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the late NBA legend Bill Russell. "Our hope with this award is to inspire a new generation of leadership in the arts, where diverse up-and-coming talent have a platform to have their voices heard and their stories told," the couple said, per CNN.

The awards ceremony occurred just days before the release of the new Netflix series "Harry & Meghan" where the couple talks about their experience as part of the royal family living under the spotlight. The episodes will be released in two batches: Volume I on December 8 and Volume II on December 15, according to the trailer.

During their acceptance speech, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry used the time to hint at future plans.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, used this opportunity to share more about her mental health struggles, which at some point included thoughts about ending her life, and why she decided to make this information public. "I don't want anyone to feel alone. And when you've been through anything that's challenging, and everyone, especially in the past few years with lockdown and COVID, that spike in numbers of people having an experience they might not be voicing," the Duchess said, per Page Six.

During the awards ceremony, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, announced a new partnership between RFKHR and their own charity organization, the Archewell Foundation. "The values of RFK Foundation and the Archewell Foundation are aligned in our shared belief of courage over fear, and love over hate. Together we know that a ripple of hope can turn into a wave of change," the couple said at the award ceremony (via BBC).

If you're thinking about suicide or know anyone who is, call 988 in the U.S., or find a suicide helpline in your country at IASP or Suicide.org.

The collaboration between Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and The Archewell Foundation involves RFKHR's annual Speak Truth to Power video competition, according to The Archewell Foundation. "We are honored to receive the RFK Ripple of Hope Award this year, and to partner with the Kennedy family in the creation of The Archewell Foundation Award for Gender Equity in Student Film,"' said Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex. "Our hope with this award is to inspire a new generation of leadership in the arts, where diverse up and coming talent have a platform to have their voices heard and their stories told."

The Speak Truth to Power awards will be given out at a Tribeca Festival event. The Archewell Foundation Award will, "recognize students who have harnessed the power of visual storytelling to highlight a woman who has uplifted her community, and in doing so, changed the course of history for women everywhere," per The Archewell Foundation.

The recipient of the award will have something in common with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. According to People, Kerry Kennedy shared the reason the duo was receiving the Ripple of Hope Award. "My father . . . spoke of moral courage, saying that few would have the courage to question their colleagues, family, and their community about the power structure they maintained. And this is what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have done."

While most of the evening was on a serious note, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did take a moment to invoke a bit of laughter (via Hello!). While speaking with Kerry Kennedy, RFKHR president, Prince Harry joked, "I'll be honest with you, Kerry, I just thought we were just going on a date night, so I found it quite weird that we're sharing the room with 1,500 people," he said. "We don't get out much these days because our kids are so small and young, so this is completely unexpected."

He then directed his attention to the audience. "But it's nice to share date night with all of you, so thank you for coming." Meghan got in on the fun, saying to her husband, "Thank you for bringing me on this very special date night," as Hello! reported. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share two children. At the recent WellChild Awards, Harry answered a question about how his offspring were doing. Per People, he responded that "Archie is very, very busy. And Lili is learning to use her voice, which is great." The Duchess shared during her "Archetypes" podcast the couple's morning routine is all about the kids. "Always up with Lili, get her downstairs, then a half hour later, Archie's up. I start doing his lunchbox right before he's up while I have her, getting her a little nibble. My husband's helping me get him downstairs."