Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Harry And Meghan Visit World Trade Center Observatory With De Blasio And Hochul
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 23, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
View all 5
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 23, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
On Thursday morning, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, made their first joint and in-person public appearance since fleeing the British royal family. They visited the One World Trade Center Observatory with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
De Blasio brought his wife, Chirlane McCray, and their son, Dante de Blasio, to the event as well. While de Blasio has been involving McCray and Dante in recent events, their presence also stood as a symbol of a mixed-race family.
The portion of the visit that allowed media was very brief—mainly an opportunity for photographers and television news crews to capture the royals mingling, for the first time it seems, with American elected officials.
Harry, the sixth in line to the British throne, and Meghan married in 2017 to much international fanfare, as the union of the beloved second son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana and a biracial American television actress and activist signaled a different kind of energy in the British monarchy. However, in January 2020, the couple announced they would be stepping back from their roles in the British monarchy.
It had been reported that they were told Prince Charles wants to "slim down" the monarchy, and, in an astonishing March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple revealed that they had faced racism and severe mental anguish. Meghan, 40, said that she contemplated suicide while pregnant with their first child, Archie, who was born in May 2019.
Harry and Meghan launched a non-profit foundation with a larger organization Archewell, to highlight issues important to them (their partners include groups focused on food insecurity, gender equality, and racial justice). They have also signed lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify to produce content around those issues and now live, with Archie and newborn daughter Lilibet, in a $14 million estate in Montecito, California, with neighbors like Winfrey, Katy Perry, and Rob Lowe.
The couple will be attending the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on Saturday; they had worked with Global Citizen in a fundraising drive to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for countries in need.
Tagged
new york city
mayor bill de blasio
Prince Harry
Meghan Markle
world trade center
Governor Kathy Hochul
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYPD searching for suspect after fatal stabbing in Queens
Officers responding to a call at the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and 173rd Street around 1 a.m. found 29-year-old Sulimon Ferrier, who had multiple stab wounds to his chest, police said.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published Oct 3, 2026 at 4:38 p.m. ET
NYPD: 2 suspects in off-duty officer stabbing tried to rob victim
It’s unclear if the attackers knew the victim was NYPD.
By
Jill Webb
News
NYPD: 2 suspects in off-duty officer stabbing tried to rob victim
It’s unclear if the attackers knew the victim was NYPD.
By
Jill Webb
Astoria-born Chip City announces sudden closure days after former CEO sues
By
Catalina Gonella
US judge tosses Trump lawsuit targeting pro-Palestinian protesters in NJ
By
Willow Higgins
A big, bright Saturn will be the highlight of NYC's fall stargazing season
By
Rosemary Misdary
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .