Meghan Markle and New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern reportedly met up again at Kensington Palace

'I think she's incredible'
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Megan C. Hills23 January 2019

Meghan Markle appears to have forged a new friendship while on her royal tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand last year. Following their initial meeting, on Monday the Duchess of Sussex reportedly met up privately with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

According to royal expert Omid Scobie, Meghan welcomed Jacinda into her home at Kensington Palace and “was pleased to have the chance to thank the PM for the wonderful hospitality [she and Harry] received from the people of New Zealand last year”.

Scobie added that Meghan really “enjoyed chatting with Jacinda on the tour” and that the feeling was mutual, continuing, “[Jacinda] came away from her time with Harry and Meghan impressed.”

Even though Meghan and Harry were only in New Zealand for a few days, Ardern met with them several times over the course of their stay. Both outspoken feminists (Jacinda is the second elected leader ever to give birth while in office and even occasionally brings her daughter to work), Meghan and Jacinda appeared to get on well when the PM welcomed Meghan and Harry at an evening reception to celebrate the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand.

While there, Meghan gave a speech in which she praised New Zealand for being the first country to give women the right to vote, greeting the audience in Te Reo - New Zealand’s indigenous language.

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Scobie claimed the Prime Minister told him, “The Duke and Duchess are both very warm people... They really care about the work they do, they take their service seriously and I have a lot of respect for that.”

While Meghan was on tour, Jacinda also gifted the Duchess with a pair of Discologo earrings from New Zealand designer Boh Runga, which she was photographed wearing.

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Engraved with crossed feathers, Yahoo reported that it they represent “a Maori symbol which means leadership” and Boh Runga’s site claims they’re “for the sister with a bold and brave streak”.

Boh Runga Discologo Studs

These 9 karat gold earrings gifted to Meghan Markle by New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern are also available in silver and rose gold.

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Jacinda was asked what she thought about Meghan Markle being on tour while pregnant and said, via the Irish Independent, “It’s just increased my respect for the role that she’s playing at such an often tiring time. I have real empathy and I think she’s incredible.”

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Markle apparently hosted another secret meeting last year with former First Lady Michelle Obama, with a source telling the Evening Standard that they had a "long, private audience."

Despite making some new high profile friendships, Markle has kept her old friends close too. This weekend she caught up with her close pal and wedding makeup artist Daniel Martin, whipping him up a very millennial tea of avocado toast.

Meghan Markle's power network

Jessica Mulroney

When Meghan Markle moved to Toronto to film Suits she made friends with celebrity stylist Jessica Mulroney. With a client list which includes Canadian PM Justin Trudea's wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, Jessica has recently also become a fashion contributor for Good Morning America. Jessica's children were also part of Meghan Markle's wedding party and she is believed to have a hand in styling Meghan's wardrobe.

Jessica's husband Ben Mulroney is also a Canadian television host and the son of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

Serena Williams

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Serena Williams and Meghan Markle have been friends since 2010. Meghan reportedly met the tennis pro during a Super Bowl party and the future Duchess of Sussex even came to her for advice when the press attention became too much.

Serena told Vanity Fair, "I told her, ‘You’ve got to be who you are, Meghan. You can’t hide.'"

The pair have continued to champion one another, with Meghan attending Wimbledon to support her friend as well as choosing to wear a blazer from Serena Williams' clothing line. Serena posted a video of Meghan Markle and the Hubb Community Kitchen's charity cookbook to Instagram saying she "could not be more excited about it and proud". Serena attended Meghan's wedding with her husband (above), Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

Claire Waight Keller

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Claire Waight Keller is the current creative director of Givenchy and designed her wedding dress for Meghan's nuptials with Prince Harry last year. The pair have apparently become close since then, and Meghan even surprised her friend at the British Fashion Awards when she appeared onstage to award her with British Designer of the Year Womenswear Award.

Waight Keller said during her speech, "This woman is so amazing and I got to know Meghan on such a personal level. And to have someone like that trust you in an incredible moment in their life is something that is just the most unbelievable honour. And I can't thank you enough."

Michelle Obama

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Michelle Obama knows firsthand what it's like to be a woman of colour scrutinised by the rest of the world and has offered the Duchess of Sussex advice at the start of her own journey. In fact, Meghan even showed up to one of Michelle Obama's talks last year at South Bank Centre to hear her discuss female empowerment and the particular struggles black women face. According to the Telegraph, the pair later "met privately backstage" and were "understood to have enjoyed a warm personal discussion".

Obama previously told Good Housekeeping magazine, "Meghan probably never dreamt that she’d have a life like this, and the pressure you feel – from yourself and from others – can sometimes feel like a lot. So my biggest pieces of advice would be to take some time and don’t be in a hurry to do anything."

She continued, "What I’d say is that there’s so much opportunity to do good with a platform like that – and I think Meghan can maximise her impact for others, as well her own happiness, if she’s doing something that resonates with her personally.”

Amal Clooney

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Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney might have been thrust into the spotlight because of her husband George Clooney, but she's had an impressive career in her own right. As she's one of the "top lawyers in the UK in the fields of international human rights and international criminal law" according to her bio and is a strong advocate for women's rights, it's no surprise that she and Meghan Markle struck up a friendship.

When Meghan first moved over it was reported by People that Amal helped her "settle into London life" and both Meghan and Harry have reportedly nipped away to see her and George in their Lake Como estate - Prince Harry and George Clooney are also said to be friendly.

Priyanka Chopra

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Way back when Meghan Markle was most famous as Rachel Zane on Suits, she and Quantico star Priyanka Chopra met one another at a 2016 Women in Television dinner. From then on, the pair became close and Meghan Markle called her a "really good friend" when speaking with the Press Trust of India. "You know when you meet someone and you just 'click'... It was just an easy, natural progression. We’ve managed to keep in touch via email and text, and try to see each other whenever we’re both in the same town" she said.

Priyanka Chopra is an actress who rose to fame as the star of Quantico, but since then she's starred in films including Baywatch and has enjoyed wide success in India as a film star. She also recently married Nick Jonas in a lavish ceremony.

Priyanka attended Meghan Markle's wedding last year and has been a staunch supporter of her friend, defending her on the Wendy Williams Show when the host described her as "Prince Harry's girlfriend". Before Wendy could continue, Priyanka interrupted her and added, "Also, Meghan Markle, actress, Suits, her achievements...just saying."