Quentrall-Thomas welcomes Meghan

DUCHESS of Sussex, Meghan Markle, can be a powerful advocate of change for women all around the world. This was the view expressed by Regency Recruitment and Resources Ltd chairman Lara Quentrall-Thomas at an Association for Female Executives of TT (AFETT) leadership function at the Cascadia Hotel in St Ann’s on Sunday.

Quentrall-Thomas began her presentation by admitting that she was a little exhausted after watching the royal wedding of Markle to Prince Harry on Saturday. “It was just glorious to watch. I feel so proud of her as a young woman and a young advocate,” she declared. Quentrall-Thomas, who is English by birth, has lived in TT for the last 21 years.

She told her audience that part of the history of the Royal Family was, “who they could or could not marry.” Quentrall-Thomas said the impact which Markle has had is not because she was mixed race or American. In a recent BBC interview, Harry and Markle said none of these things factored into their relationship as a couple or their engagement.

Describing Markle as someone who has brought “such youth and style and modernity” to the Royal Family, Quentrall-Thomas hoped to see how far Markle would advocate for change as a member of the Royal Family. In contrast to Markle, Quentrall-Thomas explained, “I am not a princess or a duchess of any sort. I am just a very humble English lady who lives in TT.” She said while many people complain about how bad things are in TT, the problems in this country are not as bad as other countries.

Quentrall-Thomas told her audience that her family lived in Iran in the 1970’s and that was a scarier time. She added people in TT should be thankful they do not live in war torn countries like Syria where families have to flee for their lives. Quentrall-Thomas was grateful that she was able to experience TT’s diversity first hand over the years. Many people in TT take that diversity for granted.

As she chronicled her professional career in the United Kingdom and in TT, Quentrall-Thomas said many people in TT choose to use Facebook as a medium to complain. She explained it made no sense for people only to complain about things if they were unprepared to change the problems they are facing.