Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Urge Vaccines for 'Everyone, Everywhere' Through Concert
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry called for "equitable vaccine distribution" across the world to "restore faith" in humanity as they were announced as chairs of a concert featuring Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and friend Chrissy Teigen.
Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Vedder and the Foo Fighters are among acts set to play at SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, in an event hosted by Selena Gomez.
The President and Vice President and First Lady Jill Biden will all make appearances as part of demands for funding to get the world vaccinated.
The "dollars for doses" drive will also see Ben Affleck, David Letterman, Meghan and Harry's friend Gayle King, and Jimmy Kimmel on the line-up.
However, Meghan and Harry's names lead today's marketing by organizers Global Citizen as they were announced as campaign chairs of "Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World."
Meghan and Harry said in a joint statement: "Over the past year, our world has experienced pain, loss, and struggle—together. Now we need to recover and heal—together.
"We can't leave anybody behind. We will all benefit, we will all be safer, when everyone, everywhere has equal access to the vaccine.
"We must pursue equitable vaccine distribution, and in that, restore faith in our common humanity. This mission couldn't be more critical or important."
The event will be broadcast on Saturday, May 8, 2021 on ABC, ABC News Live, CBS, YouTube, iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations and the iHeartRadio App, at 8pm ET and on FOX at 11pm ET.
A spokesperson for the event said: "As the first large-scale music event for a COVID-compliant audience composed of fully-vaccinated frontline healthcare and essential workers, VAX LIVE calls for new commitments from governments, the private sector, and philanthropists toward the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide."
Organizers want governments to commit $19 billion to fund 1.8 billion vaccine doses for the world's poorest countries by the end of the year.
The announcement comes after Queen Elizabeth II went back to work for the first time since the funeral of her husband Prince Philip, on Saturday, April 17.
The monarch, who turned 95 this month, smiled during a video calls from Windsor Castle in which she met new ambassadors for Latvia and the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: Her Excellency Mrs. Ivita Burmistre was received in audience by The Queen via video link and presented the Letters of Recall of her predecessor and her own Letters of Credence as Ambassador from the Republic of Latvia to the Court of St. James's.
"Her Excellency Mrs. Sara Affoué Amani was received in audience by Her Majesty via video link and presented the Letters of Recall of her predecessor and her own Letters of Credence as Ambassador from the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire to the Court of St. James's."
