This move seems to be in reaction to Meghan Markle's experiences in Fiji, where she reportedly withdrew from an engagement due to staff maltreatment claims. She was also not chosen to be a Goodwill Ambassador by the UN.
Princess Victoria now joins a distinguished group of 17 notable figures in this role, including Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, Australian singer and actor Cody Simpson, American musician Bob Weir, American actress Connie Britton, and Brazilian footballer Marta Vieira da Silva.
During her appointment, the Royal appeared in an elegant ensemble, donning a bright orange blazer over a black blouse and wide-legged trousers. Notably, she wore the same eye-catching blazer, priced at $79.99, during the Global Child Forum in December 2022.
UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors play a pivotal role in drawing attention to crucial development issues, conveying the universal message of human development, and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals. Princess Victoria has been an active advocate for the UN's global sustainable development goals since November 2016.
In November 2022, she and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, another Ambassador, embarked on a trip where they met with local United Nations staff and UNDP representatives at the UN building in Nairobi, which serves as the global headquarters of the UN Environment Program.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden embodies all the qualifications required for a UN Ambassador, a position Meghan Markle aspired to but did not attain. Meghan had made several attempts to secure a role in the UN, but they were ultimately unsuccessful. Notably, Meghan's swift departure from the market in Suva, Fiji, after just 8 minutes during her and Prince Harry's visit in October 2018 raised eyebrows.
Renowned royal biographer Robert Lacey has offered a possible explanation, suggesting that Meghan may have held a grudge against UN Women, the organization responsible for the visit to the market. They hadn't appointed her as a Goodwill Ambassador during her acting career.
It has been suggested that Meghan agreed to the engagement only if all UN Women branding was removed. Furthermore, she reportedly felt underappreciated for a speech she delivered on gender equality to UN Women in New York in 2015.
It's possible that she aspired to join UN Women's distinguished roster of Goodwill Ambassadors, which included celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Emma Watson. However, in her pre-royal days, UN Women had assigned her the lesser role of advocate.
Last year, Meghan and Harry returned to New York City to attend the UN General Assembly to honor Nelson Mandela. Prince Harry was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech during the assembly, but protests outside the UN headquarters challenged their presence.
