(Left) Kelly McKee Zajfen and Meghan Markle at the Alliance for Children’s Rights 34th Annual Champions for Children held at Beverly Wilshire on March 19, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California; (Right) A photo of Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie that Meghan Markle shared to Instagram.Credit : Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty; Meghan, Duchess of Sussex/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

Meghan Markle presented her longtime friend Kelly McKee Zajfen with a community service award at a Beverly Hills event on March 19
Zajfen praised Meghan for supporting her family through personal hardships and for being a devoted mother to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet
Meghan and Prince Harry’s Archewell Philanthropies have supported a tennis tournament honoring Zajfen’s late son, Georgie

Meghan Markle’s friend Kelly McKee Zajfen is sharing what the Duchess of Sussex is like behind the scenes as a mom to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The Duchess of Sussex, 44, had a girls’ night out with her close pal at the Alliance for Children’s Rights 34th Annual Champions for Children event in Beverly Hills, California, on March 19.

Meghan did the honors of presenting her friend with the Francis M. Wheat Community Service Award that evening, where McKee Zajfen, 45, opened up about their friendship and seeing Meghan as a mom.

“Meghan is one of my best friends, and I’m honored that she said yes [to presenting] and that she’s been along this journey with me as well. She supports the Alliance, and she’s been doing this for a few years now,” she told Hello! magazine.

Kelly McKee Zajfen and Meghan Markle at The Alliance for Children’s Rights 34th Annual Champions for Children held at Beverly Wilshire on March 19, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California.Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

“She not only shows up for my family, but it’s a real privilege to be able to watch her mother too, and so it means a lot for her to be a part of this,” she added.

Meghan and Prince Harry — who share son Prince Archie, 6, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 4 — are friends with the Zajfen family.

Prince Harry, Prince Archie, Princess Lilibet and Meghan Markle in their 2025 holiday card.Meghan Markle/Instagram

Meghan, Harry and their charitable organization Archewell Philanthropies have supported the George Zajfen Tennis Tournament in recent years. The event honors Kelly and her husband Julian’s late son Georgie, who died at age 9 in 2022 of COVID-19 and viral meningitis. Georgie’s twin sister, Lily, is now 13, and the family is expanding with a baby boy this spring.

Reflecting on the depth of her friendship with Meghan, McKee Zajfen said, “We met 20 years ago, in a different life, and it’s so amazing to show up for each other when things are also not perfect and great. She’s been a part of my journey with the loss of my son, and she hasn’t left my side since. It’s a beautiful friendship, and I’m really grateful to have her.”

McKee Zajfen is the co-founder of the Alliance of Moms, a community that works to support pregnant and parenting youth in the Los Angeles foster care system. It operates as a membership group of the Alliance for Children’s Rights, a nonprofit legal organization that protects the rights of vulnerable children in Los Angeles County, of which McKee Zajfen is also a board member.

Kelly McKee Zajfen and Meghan Markle attend The Alliance for Children’s Rights 34th Annual Champions for Children at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on March 19, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California.Leon Bennett/Getty

She and the Duchess of Sussex, who have been friends for years and shared the screen in the Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan in 2025, posed for photos on the carpet together on Thursday.

As seen in an Instagram Stories video from inside the night at the Beverly Wilshire, Meghan spoke with pride as she introduced her friend for her award.

A video of Meghan Markle that the Alliance for Children’s Rights shared to Instagram Stories.Alliance for Children’s Rights/Instagram

“Good evening, everyone. How are we doing tonight?” Meghan said on stage, as the crowd cheered. “I am so grateful to be here and be able to celebrate my dear friend and co-founder of Alliance of Moms and Board Member for Alliance of Children’s Rights, Kelly Zajfen.”