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Duke and Duchess of Sussex announce partnership with Procter & Gamble - a company she once called sexist

Decades after criticising Procter & Gamble as a child, the Duchess of Sussex and her husband have announced a partnership with the firm.

Meghan and Harry's Archewell Foundation confirmed a long-term relationship with the American multi-national consumer goods company on Tuesday.

It will focus on gender equality, inclusive online spaces, resilience and impact through sport.

As an 11-year-old, Meghan had written to Procter & Gamble to complain about the sexist language used in a TV advert.

Her letter-writing campaign objected to a dish soap commercial which included the line: "Mothers around America are fighting greasy pots and pans".

She appeared in an interview with Nick News in 1993 to talk about her campaign, saying she was "furious" about the advert.

She added: "When they heard this, the boys in my class started saying: 'Yeah that's where women belong - in the kitchen'."

Meghan successfully lobbied the firm to change the line from "mothers around America" to "people all over America".

Announcing the partnership, the Archewell website said: "Archewell Foundation believes that with community, and through compassionate service to others, we can unleash systemic cultural change.

"In service of doing this, and building more compassionate communities, Archewell Foundation announced a multi-year global partnership today with Procter & Gamble."

The website said the partnership would "elevate the voices of adolescent girls" to ensure "their point of view and lived experience is heard at the tables where decisions are made".

It also vowed to work with men and boys to encourage gender equality.

The foundation said it will build on joint aspirations with P&G, which it worked with in support of Global Citizen's Vax live concert, in aid of the international COVID-19 vaccination effort.

Procter & Gamble owns brands such as Oral B, Gillette, Pampers and Tampax, and reported net sales in 2019 of $67.7bn (£47.8bn).

On its website, it said: "We've also been inspired by the mission of the Archewell Foundation and its founders, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, that with community, and through compassionate service to others, we can drive systemic cultural change, benefiting everyone."

Harry and Meghan quit as senior working royals in March last year.