Meghan Markle’s Red Heart Necklace in Latest Video Has Unexpected—But Deeply Poignant—Meaning

Hanging around Meghan Markle’s neck in her new Instagram video announcing the relaunch of her lifestyle brand—now called As Ever, and no longer American Riviera Orchard—is a piece of jewelry that is a tribute to her dear friend.

As is so with almost everything Meghan does, the necklace she wore from The Gold Album was filled with symbolism and meaning. After the Instagram account @royalbritishfashion suspected Meghan was wearing The Gold Album’s piece alongside her crisp white button-down and jeans in the video, the brand confirmed on the social media platform, “She sure is,” adding a red heart emoji for good measure, per The Daily Express.

The California-based brand’s Red Heart of Gold Pendant, which retails for $3,200, was made in collaboration with Meghan’s close friend (and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles ambassador) Kelly McKee Zajfen, according to Royal Fashion Police. McKee Zajfen stepped out with Meghan at the CHLA 2024 Gala last October, and 15 percent of the sales of the necklace Meghan is wearing will directly support CHLA’s mission to treat children.

The “G” and the “L” on the necklace stand for the first initials of McKee Zajfen’s two children; 9-year-old George, who, died suddenly in 2022, and his twin sister, Lily, who receives treatment for a heart condition at CHLA. It’s unclear what, if any, personalization Meghan’s specific necklace has.

After McKee Zajfen and Meghan attended the October 5 CHLA gala together, McKee Zajfen wrote on Instagram that she was “beyond grateful to share in this beautiful evening with one of my closest friends.”

McKee Zajfen, who is the co-founder of Alliance of Moms, praised the Duchess of Sussex’s support for CHLA, calling her commitment “truly inspiring” and adding, “I’m so grateful to have you by my side.” She also spoke of her gratitude for the hospital and the “extraordinary care” they have provided Lily.

After George contracted and succumbed to a viral illness in 2022, McKee Zajfen opened up to People about the devastating loss: “It is impossible to know how to survive this type of grief,” she wrote in an essay for the outlet. “Even more impossible is the ability to find all the right tools that will help you manage each day. I definitely do not have all the answers.”

After George’s death, Prince Harry and Meghan donated $5,000 to a GoFundMe set up in George’s honor, donating in the names of their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, The Daily Mail reported. Harry and Meghan spent Harry’s milestone 40th birthday weekend last September taking part in the George Zajfen Tennis Tournament in Los Angeles, after which McKee Zajfen wrote on Instagram of the couple, “I’m in awe of your commitment to community and to friendship,” adding, “Harry and Meghan, you have been such a guiding light for our family.”

Meghan appeared last April in the “Love Like a Mother” campaign alongside McKee Zajfen and fellow friend Abigail Spencer, after which McKee Zajfen wrote on Instagram, “When we speak about the people in our lives who lift us up when you need it with undeniable force of pure love, I think of these two. You inspire me. You pick me up when I need it.”

McKee Zajfen has also said of Meghan—whom she lovingly refers to as “Meg”—that she is an “incredible friend and mother” and someone who is “nurturing and warm and open.”

“I’m truly in awe of you,” McKee Zajfen wrote, adding that Meghan is “always the first to say yes and support those you love. You are a fierce advocate for those who are in need.”

Read the original article on InStyle