Meghan Markle has paid tribute to her close friend Gloria Steinem following her death aged 92, with the Duchess of Sussex revealing how her “friend and mentor” was “even better than you would imagine” in private.
A legendary leader of the second-wave feminist movement, Steinem died on Wednesday (2 September) at her New York Home, her foundation announced on Instagram.
“Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end,” the post read.
Hours later, Markle, 45, who considered the activist a close friend and had publicly interviewed her in the past, wrote a long social media tribute to her “friend and mentor”.
open image in gallerySharing a framed photograph of Steinem alongside a child with their face covered (presumably the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son Prince Archie), the former Suits star revealed that her private relationship with Steinem went deeper than people knew.
“Publicly, we did interviews together, called young voters to encourage them to have their voices heard, attended award ceremonies, and brainstormed how to help this beautiful yet complicated world to become more equitable,” the Duchess of Sussex wrote.
“But privately, she was even better than you would imagine – spending Thanksgiving with our family, introducing me to one of my best friends (forever the champion of female friendship), loving our children with her whole heart, counselling me during hard times, and giving extraordinary advice and perspective with a cup of tea and an unrivalled cheekiness and wit.”
open image in galleryOver the years, Steinem and Markle made a number of public appearances together. Amid the pandemic in 2020, the pair filmed a socially distanced “backyard chat”, where Markle interviewed Steinem about the importance of voting. Months later, Steinem revealed in an interview that Markle had been “cold-calling” US citizens to urge them to vote in that year’s presidential election.
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Much less was known of their private relationship, although it was hinted at. When Steinem invited Architectural Digest into her house for a home tour in 2025, eagle-eyed fans spotted a framed photo of Prince Harry and Markle with their two children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, in her office.
Steinem spent the American holiday with the Sussexes in 2023, with Markle revealing in an interview a year later that she “came for Thanksgiving”.
“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,” she said.