Michelle Obama praises Meghan Markle for being a ‘thoughtful leader’

Meghan Markle just received the ultimate praise from Michelle Obama!

As the Duchess of Sussex was touring South Africa, the former first lady took to Instagram to thank her for her inspirational efforts in “breaking the mold” and making a difference.

“Thank you to my friend, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex @sussexroyal, a thoughtful leader who is breaking the mold and making our world better for it,” Obama wrote, on both her personal page and the account for the Obama Foundation. “Whether meeting with our @ObamaFoundation Leaders or helping girls around the world seek the education they deserve, she is an inspiration to so many.”

“Yesterday in Cape Town, several of our #ObamaLeaders met with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex @sussexroyal at a reception celebrating young people who are building a brighter future for the continent,” she added, in a caption for the Obama Foundation account.

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Thank you to my friend, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex @sussexroyal, a thoughtful leader who is breaking the mold and making our world better for it. Whether meeting with our @ObamaFoundation Leaders or helping girls around the world seek the education they deserve, she is an inspiration to so many.

A post shared by Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on Sep 25, 2019 at 11:56am PDT

The duchess and her husband, Prince Harry, have been keeping busy since kicking off their royal tour of Africa earlier this month, visiting organizations like Waves for Change and the mothers2mothers charity. On Wednesday, the former Suits star donated a whole collection of clothes that her 4-month-old son, Archie, has outgrown.

“We just thought that in the spirit of community, what’s so nice is to be able to share the things we have at home as well, so we could obviously make sure anything you needed is provided,” Meghan said. “We brought some of the things that my friends and I have used for our kids and Archie.”

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mothers2mothers was incredibly excited to welcome today HRH Duchess of Sussex @sussexroyal in Cape Town, South Africa. Her Royal Highness, who is currently on a Royal Tour of Africa with The Duke of Sussex and their son Archie, met three of the incredible m2m Mentor Mothers – the women living with HIV whom we employ as frontline health workers. ⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣ The Duchess heard their personal stories and how, through their work, they are creating a generation free from HIV and healthy, thriving communities. The Mentor Mothers from Lesotho and South Africa explained how m2m’s unique model – the powerful interaction of one woman forging a strong bond with another – has reached over 11M women and children under 2 with life-changing health services and education across the African continent.⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣ Reflecting on the visit, Limpho Nteko from Lesotho (pictured), said: “It was such an honour to meet The Duchess of Sussex in person and share with her the incredible and important work that we do as mothers2mothers. It was an opportunity to shine a light on the impact we have had and the lives we have changed but also to highlight the hard work that still lies ahead to ensure that we create a generation that is healthy and free from HIV.”⁣ ⁣ ⁣⁣ Thank you so much @sussexroyal for spreading awareness about our work – we were so delighted to welcome you into the m2m family!⁣ ⁣⁣ 📸: @ukinsouthafrica ⁣⁣

A post shared by mothers2mothers (m2m) (@mothers2mothers) on Sep 25, 2019 at 9:35am PDT

ET’s royal expert, Katie Nicholl, said the women at the mothers2mothers charity were overwhelmed by Meghan’s generosity. “Meghan had come to South Africa with two bags full of clothes that don’t fit Archie anymore and some toys that she gave to the mothers at the mothers2mothers charity event,” she shared. “I spoke to one of the mothers, who said she couldn’t believe she was sitting there on the mat with the Duchess of Sussex. …She feels like [Meghan’s] a very special, very ordinary person. She’s clearly connected. She’s made these mothers feel very special.”

See more of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s heartwarming travel photos below:

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More special moments from Cape Town, where The Duke and Duchess are embracing connecting as a community. Here are some more of our favourite images from The Duchess's visit to @mothers2mothers. #RoyalVisitSouthAfrica Photo © PA images / EMPICS / @UkinSouthAfrica

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 26, 2019 at 5:50am PDT

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Arch meets Archie! This morning The Duke and Duchess were honoured to introduce their son Archie, to Archbishop, Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Thandeka. The Archbishop, a globally respected figure in anti-apartheid movement, is one of the world’s great champions of equality, and has spent his life tirelessly battling injustice. Their Royal Highnesses have joined The Archbishop and Thandeka to learn more about the work of The Tutu and Leah Legacy Foundation, and see first-hand how they are focussing on global awareness of the critical issues affecting the world. #RoyalVisitSouthAfrica • Photo ©️ Reuters

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 25, 2019 at 2:37am PDT