Meghan Markle has seen her public profile sky-rocket since the start of her romance with Prince Harry. But she still treasures her longterm friendships. Janina Gavankar first met the future Duchess in 2004, and the two ladies remain close to this day – so much so that Janina even served as the photographer for Meghan, Prince Harry and baby Archie's 2019 Christmas card. This week, Janina opened up abut her bond with Meghan, as she hit the red carpet for the premiere of her new film, The Way Back.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in numbers
"Listen, our entire friendship has been apart, you know," she told Entertainment Tonight. "We met 16 years ago, and we've just been apart since, so our friendship lives on FaceTime, no matter where we are." It's not the first time Janina has spoken about her friend. Shortly after it was announced that Meghan and Harry were stepping back as senior royals, Janina told ET: "I'm just thankful for those who are supportive. Nothing's changed. She's amazing and always has been."
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Janina and Meghan keep in touch via FaceTime
It's a big week for Meghan, who is due to fly over to the UK this week to join her husband, Prince Harry. The couple will then carry out their final engagements before they step back as senior royals on 31 March. Harry and Meghan will both attend the Endeavour Fund Awards on 5 March, which recognises wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans who have gone to use sport as part of their recovery. They will again make a joint appearance on 7 March, when they attend the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall, which features military musicians from the Royal Marines showcasing a range of musical styles in a West End-worthy spectacular. It has also been confirmed that Meghan will mark International Women's Day on 8 March, with further details set to be announced.
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Their final scheduled appearance will take place on Monday 9 March. The couple will join the Queen, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Kate at the annual Commonwealth Service held in Westminster Abbey. Notably, it was one of Meghan's last public engagements last year before she went on maternity leave ahead of the birth of Archie.