Meghan Markle is sharing a behind-the-scenes look of her “lovely day.”

After announcing last month that she is launching a capsule collection of women’s workwear to benefit her patronage Smart Works — a charity that helps women land jobs — the royal shared the first glimpse of her project in a candid Instagram Story on Wednesday.

In the video, which is set to the Bill Withers’ 1977 hit, “Lovely Day,” the Duchess of Sussex surprises a group of women as they arrive to the collection’s photo shoot.

Meghan excitedly puts her hand to her face as the women come up the stairs to be greeted by the royal with a hug. She proceeds to help direct the shoot from the sidelines and even styles the women.

Dressed casually chic in skinny jeans, a blue-and-white striped collared shirt by sustainable British women’s shirt brand With Nothing Underneath and nude heels, Meghan is animated as she laughs and jokes around on set. At the end of the video, she excitedly claps in front of the camera.

“Sneak peek at the new Smart Works charity capsule collection shoot, ahead of the autumn launch,” Meghan captioned the Instagram Story.

“An initiative supporting the Smart Works collective which will equip women entering the work force with the key work wear essentials they need…coming soon,” she added.

In the September issue of British Vogue, which she guest edited, Meghan revealed that she has partnered with her designer friend, Misha Nonoo, to create the capsule collection.

“When you walk into a Smart Works space you’re met with racks of clothing and an array of bags and shoes,” Meghan wrote. “Sometimes, however, it can be a potpourri of mismatched sizes and colors, not always the right stylistic choices or range of sizes.”

“To help with this, I asked Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw and my friends, the designer Mischa Nonoo, if they were willing to design a capsule collection of more classic options for a workwear wardrobe,” she added. “Taking the idea further, many of the brands agreed to use the one-for-one model: for each item purchased by a customer, one is donated to the charity. Not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story, it reminds us we are in it together.”

Nonoo and Meghan have been friends for years, and often posted photos of each other on Instagram before the Duchess of Sussex deleted her personal account soon after her engagement to Prince Harry. The designer was a guest at Meghan and Harry’s royal wedding, as well as Meghan’s New York City baby shower earlier this year.

At Smart Works, clients receive one-on-one interview preparation and an outfit to help them secure employment, according to their website. Once the client lands a job, they receive five additional pieces of clothing to help see them through to their first paycheck.

“The reason why I was drawn to Smart Works is that it reframed the idea of charity as community…..it’s a network of women supporting and empowering other women in their professional pursuits,” wrote Meghan, 37.

Source: People

Ellen DeGeneres is coming to the defense of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

The talk show host, 61, is the latest star to show her support for the royal couple, who have been under fire recently for their decision to use a private jet to get to their vacation destination.

After news of their getaway to Nice, France with their son Archie broke, headlines focused on their use of the private aircraft, as some claimed it seemed to contradict their stance on protecting the environment.

On Monday, however, DeGeneres weighed in on the issue and argued in a message on Twitter that Meghan, 38, and Harry, 34, were undeserving of the criticism.

The comedian also noted how after meeting the couple in England with her wife Portia de Rossi, she was impressed by how “down-to-earth and compassionate” they were.

“Portia and I met Prince Harry and Meghan in England to talk about their work on wildlife conservation,” DeGeneres tweeted. “They were the most down-to-earth, compassionate people.”

“Imagine being attacked for everything you do, when all you’re trying to do is make the world better,” she added, alongside a photo of the smiling couple.

Besides DeGeneres, Elton John also raised his voice in support for Meghan and Harry.

Earlier on Monday, the famed musician, who performed at Meghan and Harry’s royal wedding reception in May 2018, responded to the criticism on Twitter, revealing that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stayed at his home in Nice and that he provided the plane — which was made carbon neutral. (This typically involves calculating how much your flight generates in greenhouse gas emissions and financially contributing to a project that aims to reduce emissions by that same amount.)

“I am deeply distressed by today’s distorted and malicious account in the press surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s private stay at my home in Nice last week,” he wrote. “Prince Harry’s Mother, Diana Princess Of Wales was one of my dearest friends. I feel a profound sense of obligation to protect Harry and his family from the unnecessary press intrusion that contributed to Diana’s untimely death.”

John, 72, continued, “After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquility of our home. To maintain a high level of much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight.”

“To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™,” he said. “I highly respect and applaud both Harry and Meghan’s commitment to charity and I’m calling on the press to cease these relentless and untrue assassinations on their character that are spuriously crafted on an almost daily basis.”

The string of five tweets was signed, “Elton.”

Last month, Harry said that the couple would likely limit themselves to two children and shared in an Instagram post on June 30 that “every choice, every footprint, every action makes a difference.”

Their trip to the French Riviera came just two days after they arrived back from Ibiza, where they took a break around August 4, when Meghan celebrated her 38th birthday. The couple’s office declined to comment on either trip.

This isn’t the only travel on the Sussexes’ calendar. They are also expected to use part of their summer holiday to head to Balmoral Castle to spend time with Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family.

Next month, they will embark on a long-haul flight to Africa for Archie’s first official overseas visit.

Source: People