Meghan Markle's visit to Fiji market cut short over crowd control concerns
Meghan Markle undertook her first solo engagements as a member of the royal family Wednesday, but a visit to a local market in Fiji was cut short over what Kensington Palace is calling "crowd control concerns." It's caused some to wonder whether the royal tour's strenuous schedule may be catching up with Meghan, who recently announced her pregnancy.
Marrying into the royal family can at times be hard work, even when it takes you to a tropical island like Fiji, where the couple has received a warm welcome everywhere they go. Meghan's first speech of this tour was well received, but as the day went on, the attention on her first solo outing became overwhelming, CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti reports.
As they arrived at the University of the South Pacific, Prince Harry and Meghan were given traditional Fijian leis, adorned with flowers, which they would continue to wear throughout the day. Meghan then gave her first speech on the tour using her global platform to focus on education.
"Everyone should be afforded the opportunity to receive education that they want, but more importantly the education they have the right to receive," she said.
She also told the crowd of her own grit and determination.
"It was through scholarships, financial aid programs and work-study where my earnings from a job on campus went directly towards my tuition that I was able to attend university," she said.
The American royal announced two grants aimed at empowering young women, the younger of which showed up in tiaras.
But Meghan's day wasn't without a hiccup. Royal correspondent Roya Nikkhah was with Meghan when a planned visit to a market was abruptly cut short. She was there to meet local craftswomen enrolled in a U.N. program.
"I think she felt a little bit hot and flustered by the crowds there," Nikkhah said. "I think for Meghan this being her first major overseas tour, she may have been caught slightly by surprise by how demanding each engagement is, and you have to put on a bit of a game face for every engagement ... but that is the whole part and parcel that comes with being a member of the royal family. You've got to put your game face on."
Kensington Palace says the official line is that security was concerned over the size of the crowd. But we do know that exhaustion has played a role on this tour. Meghan is three months pregnant and earlier this week she took time off before re-joining the tour on Tuesday.
