Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.Credit : Archwell

NEED TO KNOW

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry presented the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award at the NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors in L.A. on Feb. 26
The award, created with their charity, Archewell Philanthropies, honors leaders advancing digital civil rights and technology equity
Their surprise appearance came immediately after their humanitarian trip to Jordan, which was focused on health, mental health and communities affected by conflict

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at the NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors just hours after concluding their humanitarian trip to Jordan.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared onscreen during the Feb. 26 ceremony at L.A. Live, where they presented the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award via a pre-recorded video message that was filmed in advance against a familiar backdrop used in past joint appearances.

The cameo aired the same day the couple wrapped two days of international engagements focused on health, mental health and support for communities affected by conflict.

The NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award recognizes individuals leading the way in advancing digital civil rights and technology equity and the 2026 honor went to Dr. Mary Anne Franks for her work with the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative.

The annual award was established in 2022 in partnership with the Duke and Duchess’s charitable organization, which was rebranded as Archewell Philanthropies last year.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex are seen onscreen during the NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors at L.A. Live Event Deck Top Floor Of The West Lot on Feb. 26, 2026 in Los Angeles.Robin L Marshall/Getty

The couple had just concluded a visit to Jordan on Thursday, Feb. 26, where they joined World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for meetings and site visits. Meghan and Harry previously embarked on similar philanthropic trips to Nigeria and Colombia in 2024.

The NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors is a precursor to the 57th NAACP Image Awards, set to take place Saturday, Feb. 28, in Los Angeles, celebrating achievements by people of color across more than 80 creative categories in film, television, music, literature and podcasts.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the NAACP Image Awards in L.A. on Feb. 26, 2022.

Prince Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, have longstanding ties to the NAACP and were honored with the President’s Award in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service at the NAACP Image Awards in 2022. The couple was honored two years after the launch of their Archewell charity, which supported efforts to tackle the COVID pandemic, backed the Black Lives Matter movement and fought for racial justice.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit the World Central Kitchen Food (WCK), at the Jordan Country Office, in Amman, Jordan on Feb. 26, 2026.Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty

In 2024, the California-based couple personally informed Dr. Joy Buolamwini that she was the winner of the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award winner that year, honoring her advocacy and research to overcome racist and sexist biases in artificial intelligence.