Meghan unveiled the new initiative called 40x40 to mark her 40th birthday. To promote this new project, she posted a light-hearted video in which she shares the limelight with actress Melissa McCarthy on her website Archewell.com.

       In the clip, Meghan is wearing a light-coloured ensemble and beige heels.

       Sitting at a long desk next to which there is also a second chair with a ￡1,240 Hermes blanket bearing an 'H' draped over, the Duchess of Sussex is looking at a laptop positioned on a stack of her first children's book The Bench, which was published on June 8.

       A second pile of books can be seen near the laptop in front of Meghan.

       On the table, Meghan has also positioned a tray with biscuits and a cup of black tea, which she uses at the end of the video to bid goodbye to her friend.

       Meghan is not alone in the room, as her trusted beagle Guy is resting near the stone fireplace behind her.

       At the end of the video, Prince Harry also pops up and can be seen outside of the window attempting to juggle with three balls.

       After a few jokes shared with Ms McCarthy, the Duchess of Sussex explains in the two-minute clip she wants to make her milestone birthday even more special by encouraging 40 of her friends around the world to spare 40 minutes of their time to mentor or support women in need who are trying to join again the workforce.

       Speaking about the initiative, Meghan told the actress she believes that, if all her 40 friends joined her in this initiative and committed to it, they could create a "ripple effect".

       READ MORE: Kate & William share picture of Meghan Markle in 40th birthday message

       Explaining how she came to create this initiative, the Duchess said: "In reflecting on my 40th birthday and the many things I am grateful for, I’m struck that TIME IS AMONG OUR GREATEST AND MOST ESSENTIAL GIFTS: Time with our loved ones, time doing the things we love, time spent learning, laughing, growing, and the sacred time we have on this earth.

       "Amongst the most valuable gifts of time is also time spent in service to others knowing that it can contribute to incredible change.

       "To that last point, and with my 40th lap around the sun in mind, it made me wonder: what would happen if we all committed 40 minutes to helping someone else or to mentoring someone in need?

       "And then what would happen if we asked our friends to do the same?"

       The Duchess went on explaining the past two years of Covid crisis have had a devastating impact on women, with as many as 10 million around the world being forced to leave the workforce.

       Many of these women, Meghan noted, are "shouldering the brunt of the crisis" by carrying out a series of unpaid activities including childcare, homeschooling and caring for family members.

       Declaring she strongly believes mentorship can be pivotal in helping women in "regaining confidence and rebuilding their economic strength", the Duchess revealed there are "friends, activists, athletes, artists, and world leaders" among those she asked to "help kickoff a global effort" focused on reintroducing women in the workforce.

       She added: "With this time, I hope they each help someone advance a professional life on her own terms, and, I hope that they inspire countless others to give 40 minutes of their time as well."

       Mentors taking part in the initiative by the Duchess of Sussex include Amanda Gorman, Gloria Steinem, Adele, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and Stella McCartney.

       The Archewell page dedicated to this initiative also includes a call for action to invite other people to share Meghan's message and gift their own time in aid of others.

       This video marked the first public appearance of Meghan in several weeks, since she spoke to NPR about her debut as a children's book author.

       Both Meghan and Harry are currently on parental leave, having welcomed their daughter Lilibet 'Lili' Diana on June 4.

       However, they have shown to have continued to work behind the scenes over the past few weeks.

       The birth of Lili was quickly followed by the publication of The Bench which became a New York Times best seller after receiving mixed reviews in the UK.

       In July, Team Archewell announced Meghan has created a new animated series for Netflix called Pearl and will also be one of its executive producers.

       A few days later, the Duke of Sussex stunned royal watchers saying he is working on a memoir, set to be released at the end of next year.