The Duchess in Shimmering Roland Mouret Gown for Sentebale Night at Cirque du Soleil

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s Totem in support of Sentebale at the Royal Albert Hall.

I wasn"t entirely sure whether we would see a cocktail dress or more formal attire for the evening. To the delight of fashion fans, Meghan arrived in a shimmering gown. It"s been a busy week for the Duchess; on Monday she and Harry carried out a packed day in Birkenhead and earlier today she made her first official visit to patronage Mayhew.

The couple were welcomed upon arrival.

The evening marks the second event in a series of ‘Sentebale Nights’, building on the success of the charity’s first production; a partnership with global sensation Hamilton, which was attended by both the Duke and Duchess.

When we consider the impact royals can have, it very much comes down to awareness and fundraising. These nights combined with other fundraising events such as polo matches enable charities to exponentially expand their work and profile.

Prince Harry founded Sentebale with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 following Harry"s gap year to Lesotho two years previously. The charity supports the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana. Sentebale’s programmes of education and care provide the tools and knowledge this vulnerable generation need to live long, happy, healthy lives.

Last October, Sentebale expanded their reach to Malawi, launching Mawa Girls. The programme responds to the great need of vulnerable secondary school girls and young women, who are at higher risk of new HIV infections, by providing psycho-social support to keep girls in school, empowered with vital sexual reproductive health education. HIV disproportionately affects women and adolescent girls because of vulnerabilities created by unequal cultural, social and economic status.

Johnny Hornby, Chairman of Sentebale, said: “At Sentebale, a large part of our educational work with children and adolescents has focused around engaging them through play, entertainment and music. We’re very grateful to everyone at Cirque du Soleil, for giving us the opportunity to shine a light on the work that Sentebale does to help children and young adults affected by HIV to live happy, healthy and productive lives.”

Before the event began, Sentebale tweeted: "People often ask why nights like tonight matter. Here"s a glimpse into why..."

Cirque du Soleil has long been committed to using their profile for the greater good. Daniel Lamarre, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group’s CEO, said:

“Since our very beginnings, we have always been determined to engage responsibly in the communities that we visit throughout the world. We strive to make a difference in the lives of youths and encourage them to change the world. It is because both our organizations share these very values that we will proudly dedicate our TOTEM premiere to the ‘Sentebale Nights’, a perfect way to allow us to raise significant funds and awareness together”.

The Duke and Duchess met representatives from Sentebale and Cirque du Soleil.

Well known faces included national treasure David Jason (better know to many of us as Del Boy).

The Duke and Duchess arrived to an ovation from the audience.

The couple held hands as they enjoyed the show.

Cirque Du Soleil"s TOTEM is described as "a journey into the evolution of mankind". TOTEM follows the human species from original amphibian state to ultimate desire to fly. The characters evolve on a stage, evoking a giant turtle, the symbol of origin for many ancient civilizations.

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Highlights include the Fixed Trapeze Duo. "Like two lovebirds, a young man and woman tease, play and sulk in an innocent game of seduction and eventually intertwine their bodies in a light-hearted vertical dance of fresh, unusual movements and lifts."

As the drum keeps time, a young Amerindian dancer evokes myths, legends and the everlasting circle of life.

Wearing colourful costumes inspired in part by the lost civilizations of South America, Acrobats leap from one bar to the next with astonishing agility.

A peek inside tonight"s premiere.

After the show, Meghan chatted backstage about cold Canadian weather and how much Sentebale means to Harry.

— Omid Scobie (@scobie) January 16, 2019

A video recap of the night.

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The Duchess looked stunning in the sparkling Roland Mouret Sarandon gown. Several years ago Meghan was in an elevator in Istanbul and in walks none other than Mr Mouret. He smiled and said "I"d love to dress you". And a friendship was born. The designer is truly a master at his craft creating beautifully feminine silhouettes and designs. This entire look is a smash-hit, the gown is the star of the night. Striking jewellery and a statement lip add a glamorous finish.

The Sarandon gown is from the Resort 2019 collection. It"s described as: "The sparkling Sarandon gown encapsulates demure decadence. This high-octane number is covered in light-catching navy sequins, and shaped elegantly with a boat neck that leads to a ruched waist and wrap-style skirt with cascading flutes and floor-pooling hem." It retails for £3,495 at Roland Mouret and My Theresa.

Susan from What Meghan Wore correctly noted the Duchess wore her Stuart Weitzman NudistSong Ankle Strap Sandals. She debuted them during the tour. They are available in several colours at Nordstrom.

Meghan carried her black Givenchy clutch.

Meghan wore Diana"s gold bracelet with blue stones.

Below, the Duchess wearing the elegant piece in Sydney during the tour.

A closer look at Meghan"s flawless beauty look. Meghan"s Fashion suggests her earrings are a sold out Pippa Small style.

If you"re just joining us, click here to read today"s earlier post covering Meghan"s visit to Mayhew.

And that"s a wrap for today. Thank you for reading :) Source: http://madaboutmeghan.blogspot.com/2019/01/first-look-meghan-in-shimmering-roland.html