The Duchess of Sussex is set to take part in a key event for the World Health Organisation in Geneva this weekend.
A source close to Meghan told news.com.au that she will appear at the World Health Assembly, the WHO’s decision-making body which annually brings together delegates at its Swiss headquarters to set global health policies and discuss current and future priorities of international issues.
It’s understood the duchess will present a speech during the event, which runs from the 18th until the 23rd of May.
Both she and Prince Harry have previously forged a relationship with the WHO’s director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who invited them to take part in a two-day visit to Jordan earlier this year, focused on supporting refugees in the region.
Among their activities, the couple will be joined by United Nations representatives, diplomatic officials and donors in a discussion hosted by the WHO in Amman.
Harry and Meghan had first partnered with the organisation back in 2021, when they threw their support behind a global campaign to encourage vaccine equity.
Meanwhile, reports of Meghan’s appearance at the high-profile WHO event in Geneva comes just weeks after she and Harry undertook a whirlwind, four-day visit to Australia, which saw them adopt a “half-in, half-out royal” tour model which a source told news.com.au they now plan to use for the future.
According to insiders, the couple will “press on unapologetically” with hybrid foreign trips which will combine their philanthropic and commercial ventures.
The source explained that the Sussexes had “tested the model and it works”, and it meant they can now use “commercial means to help fund other humanitarian and charitable engagements”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex together spent three days in Melbourne and one day in Sydney last month, with Harry branching off for military-related events while Meghan filmed an episode of MasterChef.
The bulk of their activities – including a visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital, youth mental health organisation Batyr, and a Movember panel – were related to their philanthropic work, but were tied in with speaking engagements for each royal.
During the tour, a member of the Sussex team told news.com.au that the commercial aspects helped pay for their charitable activities, given that they were travelling as private citizens, not working royals, and therefore weren’t covered by taxpayer funds.