The Sussexes Visit Bo-Kaap

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The Sussexes’ second joint appearance on Day Two took them to the historic Bo-Kaap neighborhood, the site of South Africa’s oldest mosque, Auwal Mosque. Prior to British occupation, Muslim slaves weren’t allowed to worship, so the mosque now serves two purposes – an active site of worship and a symbol of the freedom to do so.

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Visiting Bo-Kaap today is appropriate given that it’s South Africa’s Heritage Day, when the country takes time to commemorate its cultural diversity. The couple were met by Imam Sheikh Ismail Londt and Muslim community leader, Mohamed Groenwald, as well as a group of faith leaders, including a representative of the Church of England, the Chief Rabbi and Jewish, Christian and Muslim youth leaders, and students who participated in the London-Cape Town interfaith exchange.

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They were given a tour of the mosque, including a peek at South Africa’s first known version of the Qu’ran.

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Outside, they took a walk down Chippiani Street, meeting community leaders, taking in a street performance, and first and foremost, greeting the crowds who gathered to see them.

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You can get a sense from the photos of how colorful the neighborhood is…as well as the excitement for the royal visitors!

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Meghan debuted a new maxi dress for the afternoon, but it’s yet to receive a definitive ID. I’ll update once one has been nailed down. [Update: her dress was identified as STAUD.] Her flats are Sam Edelman.

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Whoever the designer of this is, I’m not sure it’s a win in my book. The utilitarian structure of the bodice feels “too much” with how voluminous the skirt is, and the belt feels clunky. It’s a silhouette Meghan has favored since before Archie, but it’s not working for me here, particularly not in this fabric, which looks like it has a bit of sheen to it in some photos, though that might be a trick of the lighting. We’ll see.

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With that, the couple are due later today at a reception in the High Commissioner’s residence where the couple is staying while in Cape Town. I’m unclear on how formal the occasion is, but chances are we’ll see the HRHs at least slightly more dressed up, which is always fun.

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