For Meghan Markle, Gloria Steinem was never simply a famous feminist whose name had become part of American history.

She was also a friend who sat at the family table, spent time with Meghan’s children, offered advice during difficult moments and brought humor into conversations that could otherwise have felt heavy.

After Steinem died at age 92 on Sept. 2, Meghan shared a deeply personal remembrance of the legendary activist, revealing details of a friendship that had grown far beyond their public appearances together.

Steinem died peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by loved ones. Her passing prompted tributes celebrating decades of work for women’s rights, equality and social change.

Meghan’s tribute, however, offered something different.

Rather than concentrating only on Steinem’s achievements, Meghan described the woman she knew away from microphones, stages and awards ceremonies.

Their relationship began in 2020, when Meghan and Steinem connected around issues including voting, representation and women’s equality. Their friendship later became visible through conversations and appearances centered on civic participation and women’s rights.

But over time, the relationship became personal.

Steinem was no longer simply someone Meghan admired from a distance. She became someone who was welcomed into Meghan and Prince Harry’s family life.

One of Meghan’s most intimate memories involved Thanksgiving.

Steinem spent the holiday with Meghan’s family, a detail that showed just how close the two women had become. It was a far more private setting than the political discussions and public events where people were accustomed to seeing Steinem.

Meghan also remembered Steinem’s affection for her children.

Among the personal photographs shared following Steinem’s death was an image from a visit to Montecito showing Steinem interacting with Prince Archie.

Another photograph showed Meghan and Steinem together inside Steinem’s New York apartment.

The pictures reflected a side of their friendship that the public rarely saw.

There were no formal stages or crowds.

Instead, there were homes, family moments and ordinary conversations between two women who had formed a meaningful connection.

Steinem also played another unexpected role in Meghan’s life.

According to Meghan, she introduced her to a woman who eventually became one of Meghan’s closest friends.

That gesture became one of many examples Meghan remembered of Steinem connecting people and building relationships around her.

During challenging periods, Meghan also turned to Steinem for guidance.

Their conversations could take place over something as simple as a cup of tea, but the advice Steinem offered clearly stayed with her.

Meghan remembered not only Steinem’s wisdom but also her humor — a quality that could easily be overshadowed by the seriousness of the causes Steinem spent her life fighting for.

One particular story Meghan shared captured the philosophy she associated with her friend.

A woman once approached Steinem in New York and wanted to introduce her young daughter.

The mother reportedly worried that the child might not know who Steinem was.

Steinem’s response turned the entire situation around.

For her, the important question was not whether the girl recognized Gloria Steinem.

What mattered was whether the girl knew who she herself was.

It was a simple thought, but one that reflected a much larger idea about confidence, identity and the importance of girls understanding their own value.

That message appears to have stayed with Meghan.

So did another phrase Steinem frequently used: people are “linked, not ranked.”

The idea emphasized connection rather than hierarchy — a belief that people should understand themselves as connected to one another instead of constantly measuring status, power or importance.

Steinem gave Meghan a bracelet carrying those words.

Meghan said she still wears it proudly.

That small piece of jewelry now holds even greater meaning after Steinem’s death. It represents not only an idea Steinem believed in, but also the relationship the two women shared.

Their friendship had a prominent public moment in 2023, when Steinem presented Meghan with the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision Award.

The ceremony connected two women from different generations who had both spoken publicly about gender equality and women’s opportunities.

Yet Meghan’s memories after Steinem’s death suggested that the most meaningful parts of their relationship happened away from those ceremonies.

It was the Thanksgiving dinner.

The visits.

The tea.

The conversations.

The time with Archie.

The introductions that created new friendships.

And the advice offered when Meghan needed perspective.

Steinem’s representatives said that even in her later years, she remained committed to the causes that had defined much of her life.

She continued to care deeply about equality while also spending considerable time writing and being with other people.

After her death, those wishing to honor Steinem were encouraged to support Gloria’s Foundation rather than send flowers.

Meghan also expressed gratitude for something especially important in the final chapter of Steinem’s life.

She was thankful that Steinem knew how loved she was.

For someone whose public career stretched across decades and whose work had affected generations, that knowledge carried particular emotional weight.

Steinem had spent much of her life pushing people to reconsider assumptions about women, power, independence and equality.

But Meghan’s tribute revealed that her influence also operated on a much smaller, more personal scale.

Sometimes it came through a bracelet.

Sometimes through an introduction.

Sometimes through a sentence offered during a conversation.

And sometimes through simply showing up at a family Thanksgiving.

For Meghan, those memories appear to be inseparable from Steinem’s larger legacy.

The world may remember Gloria Steinem as one of the most recognizable figures in modern American feminism.

Meghan will also remember the woman who came into her home, cared about her children, offered guidance when life became difficult and reminded her that people were meant to be connected rather than ranked against one another.

Her tribute ultimately became less about mourning a public icon and more about saying goodbye to a friend.

And in doing so, Meghan revealed a quieter Gloria Steinem — one whose influence could be felt not only across movements and generations, but also around a family table.