Meghan Markle gives first official speech as a member of the royal family at a cookbook launch

The Duchess of Sussex spoke from the heart at the launch of her first project.

Duchess Meghan stood up to give her first public speech as a Royal and did so without consulting any notes, while her proud husband Prince Harry, and her doting mother Doria Raglan looked on.

The Duchess' speech, which was heartfelt and moving, was shared by the Royal Family Channel on Youtube on September 20, 2018.

The event was the launch of the Duchess' first personal philanthropic project since she married Prince Harry on May 19, 2018.

The project was the creation of a cookbook, "Together: Our Community Cookbook" and the proceeds of the sales will revert to the Hubb Community Kitchen.

"I said in the foreword that this is more than a cookbook, and what I mean by that is the power of food is more than just the meal itself. It’s the story behind it."

Duchess of Sussex, Royal Family Channel, September 20, 2018.

THE DUCHESS' FIRST CHARITY PROJECT

The Duchess' first charity project was inspired by a visit to Hubb Community Kitchen, which was created after the terrible blaze that destroyed the Grenfell Tower.

BROUGHT TOGETHER BY A TRAGEDY

Nearly 200 families were left homeless when their homes were destroyed. The local women gathered together to cook fresh food for their families and neighbors in a community kitchen and found comfort and a unifying sense of community sharing the aroma and flavors of their varying cuisines.

UNION IN DIVERSITY - 12 NATIONALITIES IN ONE BOOK

The endeavor to feed their families created a bond between women from 12 different countries and evolved into Hubb Community Kitchen. Women have been cooking together for two days a week, but with the Duchess' help, they hope to make the Kitchen available 7 days a week.

A GROUP EFFORT MADE A DREAM COME TRUE

The Duchess reached out to Penguin Random House and Ebury Press with the proposal of editing a cookbook including the recipes of the women from the Hubb Community Kitchen.

In her speech, Duchess Meghan thanked the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Center, as well as Kensington Palace and the Royal Foundation, for their unwavering support for the project and the community.

THE TRAGEDY THAT UNITED A COMMUNITY

On June 14, 2017, the Grenfell Tower, a 24-story residential tower block in North Kensington in London, caught fire.

The Tower housed over 600 people in 129 apartments, and as a consequence of the inferno 72 people were killed, and hundreds were left homeless.

Over 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines were involved in fighting the blaze, which took 12 hours to extinguish.

Later investigation revealed that the cladding and insulation installed on Grenfell Tower in a recent renovation was highly inflammable and is believed by experts to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

In a related story, the Duchess of Sussex is helping The Hubb Community Kitchen, a group of women who have been meeting to cook for their families since their homes burned down the Grenfell Tower fire in june 2017.