Royal Patronages
Eighteen months of working-royal advocacy, project by project.
The four patronages
On 10 January 2019, Kensington Palace announced four patronages for the Duchess of Sussex, each matched to her background:
- The National Theatre — for the former actress, an obvious fit.
- The Association of Commonwealth Universities — connecting to her own university education.
- Mayhew — the London animal-welfare charity, matching her long-public rescue-dog advocacy.
- Smart Works — the charity providing interview clothing and coaching to unemployed women.
She was also made vice-president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust in 2019. The patronages were returned in February 2021, when the 12-month review of the stepping-back arrangement concluded (see Stepping Back).
Together: Our Community Kitchen (2018)
Her first royal charitable project predated the patronages: the cookbook Together: Our Community Kitchen, published September 2018, supporting the Hubb Community Kitchen — a group of women cooking together at London’s Al Manaar mosque after the Grenfell Tower fire. Markle wrote the foreword and championed the project publicly, including a launch event at Kensington Palace. Proceeds supported the kitchen.
Forces for Change (2019)
In September 2019 she guest-edited the September issue of British Vogue — “Forces for Change” — with fifteen women on the cover, from activists to a prime minister. She also contributed an interview with Michelle Obama to the issue. It was reportedly the fastest-selling issue in the magazine’s history (per the publisher’s reported claim — treat sales superlatives with the usual caution).
The Smart Set (2019)
The same month, her Smart Works capsule collection launched: five workwear pieces designed with Jigsaw, John Lewis & Partners, Marks & Spencer, and Misha Nonoo. For every item sold, one was donated to Smart Works to dress a woman for a job interview. The collection sold out.
Assessment
The royal-period record is concrete: named patronages, a published cookbook, a guest-edited magazine, a sold-out charity collection, and a first overseas tour (Australia and the Pacific, October 2018). Whatever the press narratives around the period, the project list is documented and checkable.
Source notes
- Patronages (10 Jan 2019), Queen’s Commonwealth Trust VP (2019), return of patronages (Feb 2021): palace announcements.
- Together (Sept 2018): the published cookbook and launch coverage.
- Vogue September 2019: the published issue; publisher’s sales claim flagged as reported.
- Smart Set (Sept 2019): launch coverage; sell-out reported at the time.