Meghan Markle met Malala Yousafzai in London, marking her first known sighting in the capital since her return to Britain.
The Duchess of Sussex, 45, and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, 29, were in the Foyer & Reading Room at Claridge’s in Mayfair on Oct. 7, PEOPLE confirmed.
A source familiar with the meeting told ABC News that the two had met for tea.
“It was a chance for a catch-up between friends,” a source told PEOPLE.
A Fellow Diner’s TikTok Captured the Outing
@losrodriguez.mx That’s when you knew the bill was going to be expensive 👀 #fy ♬ scott street – ☆
TikTok user @losrodriguez.mx shared footage of a group of diners raising their glasses while Meghan and Yousafzai sat at a nearby table. The two women faced one another and appeared absorbed in their conversation.
Meghan wore a light-colored top, while Yousafzai had on a beige coat. Page Six reported that the account joked in its caption about being seated so close to the pair.
Meghan and Malala Discussed Girls’ Education in 2020
On Oct. 11, 2020, Meghan and Prince Harry joined Yousafzai for a virtual Malala Fund conversation marking International Day of the Girl. They discussed the barriers keeping girls out of classrooms and how the COVID-19 pandemic was threatening their ability to continue learning.
Meghan spoke about the importance of education in her own life and argued that women need a voice in the decisions affecting their communities. She described how their participation can change discussions about policy, legislation and family life.
Yousafzai later said she and Meghan were “on the same page” in believing that giving girls access to education benefits everyone.
Earlier that year, Malala Fund had estimated that the pandemic could leave 20 million additional girls of secondary-school age out of education after the crisis. Its report drew on previous health and financial crises, identifying increased poverty and household responsibilities among the obstacles that could prevent girls from returning to class.
The interview also offered a glimpse of the Sussexes’ life at home in California. Harry recalled being present for Archie’s first steps, first run and first fall, while Meghan said their usual travel and outside work would have meant missing some of those milestones.
Meghan’s Earlier U.K. Outings Included Two Pub Visits
Meghan and Harry arrived in the U.K. with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on Aug. 26.
On Sept. 21, she joined Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi at The Three Horseshoes near Burford in Oxfordshire. The couple were longtime friends and former Montecito neighbors.
Earlier in October, Meghan and Harry were photographed holding hands as they entered the Falkland Arms pub in the Cotswolds for lunch. An insider at the pub told PEOPLE that they arrived on their own and received the same treatment as other guests.
The family is spending an extended period in Britain while maintaining its home in Montecito, California. Archie and Lilibet have also begun attending school in Britain.