Harry and Meghan visit WTC and 9/11 Memorial with NY Gov Cathy Hochul and Bill de Blasio

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle descended on the Big Apple Thursday where they were given the A-list treatment, being chaperoned around by a large security detail as they mingled with UN officials and New York politicians and stayed in an $8,800-a-night hotel.

The Sussexes – who dramatically quit their roles as working royals last year – met with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield at 50 UN Plaza in Manhattan Thursday afternoon for an ‘important discussion’ on COVID-19, racial justice and mental health.

The ambassador described the meeting as ‘wonderful’ as she shared snaps of the trio chatting on sofas in a lounge area and then posing in front of UN branding. 

Further details on what the Sussexes discussed with the ambassador have yet to be shared but the former actress and former working royal appeared to mean business, carrying folders to and from the visit. 

Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37, were spotted leaving the residential building close to the United Nations Global Headquarters around 2pm before the eco-warrior couple clambered into their gas-guzzling SUVs. 

The former actress clutched what appeared to be a black leather laptop case which matched her dark outfit, sunglasses and face mask.  

She had dressed for fall in head to toe black for their morning visit to the 9/11 memorial and One World Trade Center despite the humid 80F New York City weather.

Meghan then added some color to her somber attire for the afternoon jaunt, changing into a long tan Max Mara coat and accessorizing with a $3,350 tan Valextra handbag.   

The afternoon meeting in the residential building, which houses the lavish 37-floor penthouse which Thomas-Greenfield calls home, lasted around an hour, before they reemerged flanked by a large security detail and got into their waiting vehicles.

This marked the second stop on their New York visit – their first major public appearance since they shocked the world by stepping back as senior working members of the royal family. 

On Thursday morning, they had paid a visit to the 9/11 memorial and One World Trade Center, during which they met with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, National September 11 Memorial & Museum President Alice Greenwald and Patricia Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropy.  

While atop the One World Trade Center, Meghan smiled and said ‘it’s wonderful to be back’ in New York – almost exactly two years on from her last visit in September 2019 when she cheered on close friend and tennis star Serena Williams at the 2019 US Open. 

The Duchess spoke moments before she and her husband visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, to pay their respects less than two weeks after the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.   

Meghan and Harry then made a pit stop back to the luxury Carlyle Hotel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side where the top-tier suite costs a staggering $8,800 a night. 

The couple are staying there for the duration of their four-day trip and were seen dining in the swanky hotel restaurant Wednesday night, after arriving into the Big Apple from their home in California.   

They exited the hotel around 12:30pm Thursday to travel on to 50 UN Plaza, with Harry carrying what appeared to be a binder of documents tucked under his arm. 

The prince also changed outfits for the occasion, with a less sobering dark gray suit and blue tie.  

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield tweeted photos from their ‘wonderful’ visit, revealing they discussed COVID-19, racial justice and mental health. 

‘Wonderful meeting with Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 

‘Important discussion of COVID, racial justice, and raising mental health awareness,’ she wrote on social media. 

The details of the Sussexes’ trip to the Big Apple have been a closely guarded secret.

They are scheduled to appear at Saturday’s Global Citizen concert in Central Park which focuses on vaccine equity. 

However, it is currently unclear how they will spend the remainder of Thursday and Friday.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the UN Global HQ, the mayor’s office, the governor’s office and the Archewell Foundation for further information about the Sussexes’ schedule and purpose of the meetings.   

It is unclear if the Sussexes – famed for their pronouncements on climate change – arrived in New York on a commercial flight or flew there by private jet. 

It is also unclear who is paying for the trip and providing the security detail around the Sussexes. 

A spokesperson for the NYPD told DailyMail.com they were unsure of who was providing the Sussexes security, that they had not heard about their officers being drafted in to provide cover, and added that they doubted the department would do so. 

Several NYPD and Port Authority officers were present at the World Trade Center cordoning off the area during their morning visit. One Port Authority officer told DailyMail.com he had only learned of the famous couple’s visit that morning. 

DailyMail.com has also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the DHS Secret Service to ask if they are providing security for the couple’s visit.   

Meghan last visited the city in September 2019 when she made the surprise stop at the US Open. 

This came seven months after her last trip, when pals including Amal Clooney and Gayle King held a lavish baby shower for her at The Mark Hotel’s $75,000-a-night penthouse suite on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

The Duchess traveled to that event from London on a private jet, with the bash estimated to have cost $500,000.  

During their first stop on their Big Apple trip, Meghan and Harry posed for photos in front of the One World Trade Center observatory’s floor-to-ceiling windows, which offer stunning views of New York City and New Jersey. 

The Sussexes were joined by Governor Hochul, 63, Mayor de Blasio, 60, de Blasio’s wife Chirlane McCray, 66, and the couple’s son Dante, 24.  

Harry and Meghan then visited the 9/11 memorial pools around 9am EST.  

The couple inspected the large black pools, built in the footprints of the original Twin Towers, before entering the 9/11 Museum, which sits underneath, and spending around half an hour inside.     

Harry and Meghan, who donned somber dark outfits, walked hand-in-hand around the memorial pools and museum accompanied by National September 11 Memorial & Museum President Alice Greenwald and Patricia Harris from Bloomberg Philanthropy. 

The couple’s two-year-old son Archie and three month-old daughter Lilibet remain at home in California.     

Harry and Meghan arrived at One World Trade Center at 8:14am Thursday in somber outfits, likely chosen for their planned trip to the nearby 9/11 Memorial afterwards. 

The couple exited a black SUV, and were whisked up to the skyscraper’s viewing deck – which sits between floors 100 and 102 – to meet Hochul and de Blasio, who arrived moments before the royals.

Meghan donned a stylish dark blue outfit, with a matching jacket, polo neck, wide-legged trousers, heels and her hair swept back into a business-like bun. She wore simple pearl earrings and muted makeup. 

Harry wore a complementary dark suit and tie. The couple were snapped donning black face masks as they entered One World Trade Center.  

They held hands as the walked up the steps of the building, with Harry giving a wave to watching fans who shouted his name on seeing him.  

No details on why the royals are meeting with the Democrat lawmakers and what they plan to discuss were shared in advance. 

De Blasio’s wife Chirlane McCray, 66, and the mayoral couple’s son Dante, 24, were also there to welcome the royal couple, who are visiting from their home in Montecito, California.

The mayor and governor arrived and entered the building a few minutes ahead of the Sussexes.

A small group of taxi drivers protested the event to call on Mayor de Blasio to offer additional protection for yellow cab drivers who’ve been hit by the rise in popularity of ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft, with security also present to guard the royals and politicians.

‘De Blasio help the cabbies, Mr. Mayor help the cabbies,’ the group chanted as de Blasio arrived at the building.  

One of the drivers told DailyMail.com called for the mayor to focus on supporting New Yorkers rather than mingling with royals.

‘The mayor should take care of the people, not spend money on this,’ said Barbara Basiaosowca.      

Mayor de Blasio shared a live stream of himself and Hochul with the royal couple posing for photos in front of the observation deck’s floor-to-ceiling windows, which offer stunning views of New York and New Jersey. 

He captioned the video: ‘The tragedy of September 11 touched the entire world, and it’s still felt today. 

‘We’re honored to join Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, at One World Observatory.’ 

The group put masks on to enter the building, removed them for photos at the top, then put them back on after the photo opportunity.   

Afterwards, the Sussexes came back down to ground-level, and posed with Hochul, de Blasio, the mayor’s wife and son for another photo.

They hugged, smile and laughed before Harry and Meghan walked down towards the 9/11 memorial alone. A fan shouted ‘you look beautiful Meghan, I love you!’ prompting the Duchess to smile and wave, saying ‘Thank you.’   

Meghan and Harry parted ways with the lawmakers at the entrance to the tower to then visit the 9/11 memorial pools and museum.

They first visited the North Tower memorial pool, spending several minutes looking at the names of those killed in the attacks, which are inscribed around the edges of both pools.  

Harry was seen putting a protective arm around his wife as they paid their respects at the monument.

They then walked to the nearby South Tower memorial pool, chatting with Greenwald and Harris, before taking a moment of silence in front of a wreath next to the survivor tree. 

The Sussexes then went into the museum, which sits underneath the reflecting pools, and offers a comprehensive retelling of the 2001 terror outrage. 

They spent around 30 minutes inside, before being driven away in a black Range Rover.    

Thursday’s visit is the Sussexes’ first public trip to New York City since their permanent move from England to Meghan’s native California in March 2020.

They arrived into the Big Apple Wednesday and were spotted dining in the swanky Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel that night with an unknown blonde woman and brunette man. 

One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, opened in 2014 after the original World Trade Center Twin Towers were destroyed in the 9/11 terror attacks in September 2001.      

The memorial’s two giant sunken pools and cascading waterfalls have been constructed on the footprints of the original Twin Towers. 

The sides of the pools, which have been constructed from black stone, are inscribed with the names of the 2,977 people murdered in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania. 

The Sussexes’ itinerary will also see them attend the Global Citizen Live concert in Central Park Saturday. 

That will feature performances from artists including Coldplay, Lizzo and Jennifer Lopez, and will take place on the Manhattan park’s Great Lawn.

Harry, Meghan and other dignitaries are attending to draw attention to Global Citizen’s call for the G7 group of countries and EU to share at least 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines with developing countries. 

The music event will form part of a 24-hour broadcast from cities around the world, which also calls for vaccine manufacturers to waive their intellectual property rights on COVID shots.

Global Citizen Live and its supporters have further called for pharmaceutical firms to share mRNA technology used to develop the vaccines with a World Health Organization-backed medical hub based in South Africa. 

Harry and Meghan have become heavily-involved in philanthropy since sensationally quitting the Royal Family in January 2020, after complaining of the pressure-cooker environment and life in the spotlight.

The couple have also signed huge deals with Netflix and Spotify, rumored to be worth a combined $125 million, to produce content for the streaming and podcasting giants.

They kicked off their new lives as aspiring media moguls with a bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview in March 2020.

The most sensational claim from the bombshell-laden chat saw Meghan, who is bi-racial, claim that an unidentified member of the royal family had voiced concerns over the skin tone of the couple’s baby while she was pregnant with Archie, who was born in May 2019. 

Meghan went on to refute claims that she’d made the Duchess of Cambridge cry in the run-up to her May 2018 wedding to Harry – and allege that Kate had actually been the one to reduce her to tears. 

Kate has not commented on Meghan’s counter-claim. Meanwhile, Harry confirmed a rift with his brother William, the Duke of Cambridge, and told of how his father Prince Charles – the heir to the throne – had cut him off financially. 

And the couple, who were expecting their second child at the time, also revealed to Winfrey that they were expecting a girl.

Their daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, was born in California in June.

She was given Queen Elizabeth’s childhood nickname, sparking controversy over whether the royal couple had asked permission to recycle the head of the royal household’s cherished moniker.

Harry and Meghan also paid tribute to the Duke’s late mother Diana, who was killed in a car crash in Paris in August 1997 aged 36.