Meghan Markle Wore A Gold Cut-Out Dress While Out With Prince Harry

During her first public appearance since skipping her father-in-law King Charles’ coronation, Meghan Markle stunned on the red carpet at the Ms. Foundation's Women of Vision Awards in New York City. As PEOPLE notes, the Duchess of Sussex attended the event on Tuesday, May 16, alongside husband Prince Harry, and her mother, Doria Ragland.

As per Vogue, Markle arrived at the gala dressed in a dazzling gold Johanna Ortiz dress complete with a front slit, and accessorized with strappy Tom Ford heels and a CH Carolina Herrera bag

The duchess was honored at the event for her efforts to advocate for and empower women globally. After being handed the Woman of Vision award by Ms. Foundation co-founder, Gloria Steinem, Markle thanked the writer and political activist for “[being] the inspiration that you are, for your mentorship, your sage advice, your extraordinarily cheeky sense of humor and, of course, for your incredible friendship.”

While on stage, the duchess also encouraged women and girls to “be the visionary of your own life,” and praised the “incredible leaders” who carry out “tireless work on behalf of gender and racial equity across the world.”

Meanwhile, speaking to PEOPLE at the Women's Media Center on May 16, Steinem called Markle a “great human being,” adding: “I'm not an expert on the media, but it seems to me that she is different from the picture of her in the media. She's smart and funny and devoted to social issues.”

As mentioned, the duke and duchess’s appearance at the event marks the couple’s first public outing since the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, which Markle chose not to attend. In a statement released back in April, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Harry would “attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey,” before clarifying: “The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”