We already know how important the Commonwealth is to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and on Tuesday night they showed their support by hanging out with a tortoise. Harry and Meghan were guests of honour at a gala performance of the play ‘The Wider Earth’ but they had to pacify a puppet before they could take their seats.
The royal couple watched the production, which tells the story of Charles Darwin’s journey on HMS Beagle at the age of 22, at the Natural History Museum in London. The play features puppets as well as actors and that’s where the tortoise comes in. As they arrived to take their seats, Harry and Meghan were offered their tickets from the mouth of an animatronic turtle which goes by the name of Sue.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were given a detailed demonstration of some of the puppets involved in the production during their time at the museum and met creators Nicholas Pain and David Morton.
The royal couple also spent time with children involved in projects run by the Urban Studies Centre which aims to offer outdoor learning to schools as well as connecting people across the community with the world around them.
Then it was time to take their seats for the production which has at its heart the impact that Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle had on his thinking and which uses puppets to that to life. The gala show was staged on the 210th anniversary of his birth.
Two organisations very close to Harry and Meghan’s heart were the focus of this special gala evening. It was held in support of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust which supports young leaders working in areas including the environment and education. The Duke of Sussex is its President. The evening was also held in support of the Queen’s Canopy which is the official charitable partner of the production and which is working to preserve indigenous forest across the world.
The show has proved so popular that its run has just been extended – it will now play until February 24th 2019.
