New Los Angeles residents Prince Harry and Meghan Markle delivered meals to families impacted by COVID-19 in their new city this week, which comes shortly after the couple stepped down from their roles as senior members of the royal family.
“The royal duo joined Project Angel Food, an organization dedicated to providing food to those impacted by serious illness, to make two food deliveries,” Fox News reported on Thursday. “The distributions took place on Easter Sunday and again on Wednesday.”
Richard Ayoub, executive director of Project Food Angel, said on social media that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex delivered the meals as a thank you to all volunteers who have been helping families during this difficult time.
“In honor of the Easter Holiday, the Duke and Duchess spent Sunday morning volunteering with Project Angel Food by delivering meals to our clients,” the statement read. “And on Wednesday they quietly continued delivering meals to relieve our overworked drivers. It was their way to thank our volunteers, chefs and staff who have been working tirelessly since the COVID-19 crisis began.”
The royal couple made six deliveries on Easter Sunday and 14 deliveries this past Wednesday.
Speaking with People magazine, Ayoub described the couple as deeply personable and engaging with the people they met during their time volunteering, adding that Markle wanted to “show Harry Los Angeles through the eyes of philanthropy.”
“They were extremely down to earth and genuinely interested in every single person they met,” Ayoub said. “They engaged with our chefs, they engaged with clients — they just wanted to make sure that people felt the love and appreciation. Their goal was really to just honor our chefs and staffs and volunteers by being of service.”
“There’s obviously a great deal of love and selflessness between them. They both are individuals who want to know about others. Our clients are clients who are often forgotten,” he continued. “They really wanted to go visit these people. They wanted to see them and talk to them and hopefully put a smile on their faces … She said she wanted to do something to give back on Easter and was talking to her mom [Doria Ragland] and her mom told her that Project Angel Food needs help and Meghan said, ‘Yes, brilliant.'”
Both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle relocated to Los Angeles as the COVID-19 pandemic kicked into high gear. In late-March, they officially ended their roles as senior members of the Royal Family in order to carve out a “progressive role” in the institution. In a statement, the pair said they will consider how best to contribute to this “global shift.”
“As we all find the part we are to play in this global shift and changing of habits, we are focusing this new chapter to understand how we can best contribute,” said the couple. “While you may not see us here, the work continues. Thank you to this community – for the support, the inspiration and the shared commitment to the good in the world. We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You’ve been great! Until then, please take good care of yourselves, and of one another.”