Tributes to Gloria Steinem have converged on her influence on women’s equality, but they have done so from different distances: political allies stressed a movement-shaping legacy, while Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, remembered a trusted friend behind the public figure.

The death of Steinem at 92 prompted praise that ranged from assessments of her national impact to recollections of her personal warmth. Together, the responses portray an activist whose public campaigning and private relationships were closely intertwined.

Hillary Clinton cast Steinem as foundational to advances in women’s rights, calling her “one of the architects of the entire structure of women’s equality.”¹ Clinton also pointed to Steinem’s enduring faith in political change, saying her activism “was rooted in optimism” even amid setbacks and resistance to women’s full participation and equality.¹

That public assessment is reinforced by accounts of Steinem’s long career as a writer, organiser and campaigner. An obituary described her as an “entrepreneur of social change” whose causes included civil rights, opposition to violence against women and reproductive rights.² It also noted her role in co-founding Ms. magazine and the National Women’s Political Caucus, institutions intended to broaden women’s voice in media and politics.²

Meghan’s tribute took a more personal approach. She said Steinem, whom she called her “friend and mentor,” had joined her family for Thanksgiving, offered counsel during difficult periods and loved her children “with her whole heart.”³ Her Instagram post included a previously unseen photograph of Steinem with Prince Archie, underlining the closeness Meghan described.³

Yet Meghan also linked that friendship to Steinem’s public work, recalling interviews, voter outreach and discussions about making the world more equitable. Her favourite Steinem lesson was similarly personal and political: “It doesn’t matter if she knows who I am. What matters is that she knows who SHE is.”³