International Women's Day: Meghan wants baby to be a feminist

The Duchess of Sussex said she would like her unborn child to be a feminist, whether they are a girl or a boy.

Speaking on a panel to mark International Women's Day, Meghan said she had recently been watching a documentary on feminism.

"One of the things they said during pregnancy was 'I feel the embryonic kicking of feminism'," she told an audience at King's College London.

"I loved that - boy or girl, whatever it is, we hope that's the case."

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She went on to say that "men can understand that they can be feminists" and should feel comfortable about women being by their side, rather than behind them.

The duchess's comments were made after she was asked about how her baby bump was treating her, to which she replied "very well".

Meghan was taking part in a discussion organised by the Queen's Commonwealth Trust

L-R: Journalist Anne McElvoy (chairwoman); Angeline Murimirwa from the Campaign for Real Education; campaigner Chrisann Jarrett; Meghan; singer Annie Lennox; model Adwoa Aboah; former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Speaking in a panel discussion of leading feminists and other national figures, Meghan also revealed she does not read newspapers or engage with Twitter to avoid getting "muddled" by the "noise".

She was asked by the chairwoman, Anne McElvoy, senior editor of The Economist, how she responded to newspaper headlines describing her feminism as "trendy".

The duchess said: "I don't read anything - it's much safer that way.

"But equally, that's just my own personal preference because I think positive or negative, it can all sort of just feel like noise to a certain extent these days, as opposed to getting muddled with that to focus on the real cause.

"So for me, I think the idea of making the word feminism trendy, that doesn't make any sense to me personally, right? This is something that is going to be part of the conversation forever."

Prince Harry and Meghan are expecting their first baby in spring

Others speakers on the panel, which was organised by the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, included singer Annie Lennox and former prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard.

Meghan's participation in the discussion on gender equality came after she was made the trust's new vice-president.

The duchess and Prince Harry are expecting their first baby in the spring. He or she will be seventh in line to the throne.