(Reuters) - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got a bird's-eye view of the New York skyline as they kicked off their trip to the city with a visit to the observatory at One World Trade Center on Thursday.

The royal couple is in town to attend Saturday's Global Citizen Live event at Central Park to encourage equal access to COVID-19 vaccines. It was their first joint outing since the birth of their daughter Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor in June.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were accompanied by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, his wife, Chirlane McCray, and their son, Dante de Blasio.

The 37-year-old prince and Meghan, 40, also paid their respects at the nearby September 11 memorial and stopped by the adjoining museum.

The couple stepped down from royal duties in early 2020 and are living in California with their two children.

In May, they marked https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/uk-royals-send-birthday-message-meghan-harrys-son-archie-2021-05-06 the second birthday of their son Archie by calling for donations to help provide COVID-19 vaccines to the world's most vulnerable.

Saturday's concert, featuring performances from Coldplay, Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo and other artists, will be part of a 24-hour broadcast from cities around the world to "defend the planet and defeat poverty."

 

(Reporting by Andrew Hofstetter and Aleksandra Michalska; Writing by Richard Chang; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)