The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared overjoyed as they received a top accolade at a US awards bash on Saturday.
READ: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issue powerful message days after latest lawsuit revealed
Prince Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, delivered an acceptance speech at the NAACP Image Awards, as they were named as recipients of the prestigious President's Award, which recognises special achievement and distinguished public service.
WATCH: Duke and Duchess of Sussex accept prestigious NAACP award
Appearing in person at the ceremony, Harry said: "I think it's safe to say I come from a very different background to my incredible wife, yet our lives were brought together for a reason.
"We share a commitment to a life of service, a responsibility to confront injustice and a belief that the most overlooked are often the most important to listen to."
It was the couple's first joint public appearance this year
Meghan, who looked breathtaking in a long blue gown by Black designer Christopher John Rogers, added: "I couldn't be prouder that we're doing this work together. We are so deeply humbled to be here in the company of such illustrious awardees."
The Sussexes' Archewell Foundation is supporting a new NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award, which recognises leaders creating "transformational change at the intersection of social justice and technology".
"This community knows what it means to speak up for what is right and to march forward is just," said Harry, who looked dapper in an Ozwald Boateng black tuxedo.
"As the fight for justice for justice still remains, it's time to extend this march to the world online, a place where hate and discrimination are fuelled instantly, propagated globally and felt deeply."
Meghan revealed her mother Doria had joined them on the night
Meghan, who revealed her mother Doria had joined them too, added: "This is the era of the digital justice movement. We are proud to partner with NAACP and each of you to translate the vital efforts of those who came before us to the modern challenges that exist ahead of us."
Ahead of the bash, the couple said in a joint statement that the award was a "true honour".
They added that the efforts by US civil rights organisation the NAACP on racial justice were as "vital" today as they were more than a hundred years ago when it was founded.
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Past recipients of the President's Award include Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, LeBron James, Rihanna, Jay-Z and Lauryn Hill.
The NAACP, which stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, was set up in 1909 in response to ongoing violence against black people and is the US's largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organisation, with more than two million activists.
Its Image Awards celebrate outstanding achievements and performances of black and minority ethnic people in the arts.
Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, said: "We're thrilled to present this award to Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who together have heeded the call to social justice and have joined the struggle for equity both in the US and around the world."
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Sussexes pictured in New York last November
The Sussexes' Archewell Foundation is supporting a new NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award, which recognises leaders creating "transformational change at the intersection of social justice and technology".
Mr Johnson added: "Not only do they continue to lead by example, the Duke and Duchess have also decided to inspire the next generation of activists through the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award, ensuring the support and recognition of generations of civil rights leaders to come."
Harry and Meghan moved to the US in 2020 after stepping back as senior royals. The couple are parents to two-year-old Archie and eight-month-old Lilibet.
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