Prince Harry and Meghan Markle today celebrated their third wedding anniversary by revealing plans to build a disaster relief centre in India to help battle Covid-19 and ‘heal’ the virus-ravaged nation.
The building in Mumbai will be based on the blueprint of one the couple’s Archewell foundation has already built on the Caribbean island of Dominica, where locals can get free food and medical care including a coronavirus vaccination.
Announcing the plans on their official website Archewell, the Sussexes, who married at Windsor Castle three years ago today, promised the proposed centre would ‘provide relief and resilience as well as healing and strength’ for those who use it.
It came as the couple demanded the equal distribution of Covid vaccines around the world and backed Joe Biden‘s calls for big phrama companies to waive vaccine patents for poorer countries.
Earlier this month they penned a letter to manufacturers to ‘temporarily suspend’ intellectual property rights to help those in developing countries gain access to jabs.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared an emotive letter to the CEOs of Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Norovax as they launched a campaign to ‘ensure equitable vaccine access globally’ on Archie’s second birthday.
Announcing the new relief centre, the third planned, couple said today: ‘Right now, COVID-19 cases are spiking across the entire country of India. On Tuesday, India’s total virus cases exceeded 25 million, with 260,000 new cases and 4,329 deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
‘Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, millions have been infected, and there is widespread concern that the crisis is even worse than reported.
‘Archewell Foundation and World Central Kitchen will establish our latest community relief center in Mumbai, India, which is also home to Myna Mahila, an Indian organization focused on women’s health and employment opportunities that The Duchess of Sussex has long supported.’
The Dominica site was completed in February and the second project in Puerto Rico is underway, working in conjunction with World Central Kitchen – a charity providing meals in disaster-hit areas of the world.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle today celebrated their third wedding anniversary by revealing plans to build a disaster relief centre in India
Meghan Markle is pictured in January 2017 on a trip to Delhi and Mumbai in India for US aid organisation World Vision
The couple’s Archewell Foundation, working with charity World Central Kitchen, have already built a similar centre in Dominica, in the Caribbean
The Mumbai site will be equipped with a kitchen like this one installed in Dominica, to help feed the poor, unwell and destitute
The crammed in housing of Mumbai’s suburbs in western India, which have suffered an uncontrollable surge in Covid-19 cases
Ten days ago the Duchess of Sussex made her first television appearance since the bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview to urge that women are prioritised in pandemic recovery plans.
Wearing what appeared to be a Cartier watch once owned by Princess Diana and a ‘woman’s power’ necklace charm – combining the Venus symbol and a fist – she was speaking in pre-recorded clip for a celebrity charity concert.
Her speech was seen by millions of US viewers on Saturday night watching the Global Citizen Vax Live broadcast.
Prince Harry had appeared in person at Los Angeles’ Lo-Fi stadium, addressing a large crowd to rapturous applause.
Meghan, who is soon due to give birth to the couple’s second child, is thought to have pulled out at the last minute and instead recorded her message.
Sitting in what is believed to be the garden of the £11million California mansion where she and Harry live, Meghan described how ‘women, and especially women of colour, have seen a generation of economic gain wiped out’ in the fallout from Covid-19.
She said: ‘As campaign chairs of Vax Live, my husband and I believe it’s critical that our recovery prioritises the health, safety and success of everyone – and particularly women, who have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic.
‘Since the pandemic began, nearly 5.5 million women have lost work in the US, and 47 million more women around the world are expected to slip into extreme poverty.
‘My husband and I are thrilled to soon be welcoming a daughter.
‘It’s a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world. When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and the support to lead us forward.’
The duchess opted for a £1,200 Carolina Herrera dress emblazoned with poppies as well as the £17,000 Cartier thought to have been previously owned by her husband’s late mother and presented to her as a gift.
She has previously been photographed wearing the same watch,
She was also wearing what is believed to be a £5,000 Cartier bracelet.
The Duke and Duchess were chairs of Vax Live, organised by campaign group Global Citizen which aims to encourage the equal distribution of coronavirus vaccines around the world.
Pregnant Meghan Markle has made an appearance during the Vax Live telecast, claiming COVID has wiped out a generation of progress for women of colour
Meghan Markle is pictured with Suhani Jalota in Mumbai in 2017 during her visit to India
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have already urged supporters to make a donation to a vaccine equity campaign to mark their son Archie’s second birthday earlier this month
Field hospitals have been set up in Mumbai, where Covid cases are out of control
The show featured live speakers and performances from Jennifer Lopez and other stars.
It was the first time Meghan has appeared on television since March, when she and Harry sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey during which she alleged a member of the Royal Family made a racist comment.
Earlier this month, the Sussexes penned an open letter to five of the world’s leading Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers, urging them to share vaccines with the world’s poorest countries.
They called on all firms to temporarily suspend intellectual property rights applied to Covid vaccines, and for a ‘global public-private collaboration’ so production methods for the jabs can be shared.
As part of his speech, Harry said the vaccine ‘must be distributed to everyone, everywhere.
He added: ‘We cannot rest or truly recover until there is fair distribution to every corner of the world.
‘The mission in front of us is one we cannot afford to fail out and that’s what tonight is about.
‘The virus does not respect borders and access to the vaccine cannot be determined by geography. It must be accepted as a basic right for all and that is our starting point.’
But the Duke has incensed some in the US after branding the First Amendment – one of the country’s most cherished founding principles – as ‘bonkers’.
Speaking on Dax Shepard’s podcast on Thursday, he said: ‘I’ve got so much I want to say about the First Amendment as I sort of understand it, but it is bonkers.
‘I don’t want to start going down the First Amendment route because that’s a huge subject and one which I don’t understand because I’ve only been here a short time, but you can find a loophole in anything.
‘You can capitalize or exploit what’s not said rather than uphold what is said.’
Many Americans who’d embraced him and reacted sympathetically to his comments on Oprah were angered by the remarks, as were Britons.
Prince Harry is pictured with Dax Shepard (left) and his co-host Monica Padman (centre)
Republican Texas congressman, veteran Dan Crenshaw tweeted: ‘Well I just doubled the size of my Independence Day party.’
Meghan McCain tweeted: ‘We fought a war in 1776 so we don’t have to care what you say or think.
‘That being said, you have chosen to seek refuge from your homeland here and thrive because all of what our country has to offer and one of the biggest things is the 1st amendment – show some utter respect.’
Brexit architect Nigel Farage added: ‘For Prince Harry to condemn the USA’s First Amendment shows he has lost the plot. Soon he will not be wanted on either side of the pond.’
The podcast also saw Prince Harry criticize Prince Charles, Prince Philip and the Queen’s parenting and complain he had suffered ‘genetic pain’, prompting furious royal aides to demand he gives up his royal titles.
During the recording, Harry appeared to be confused by the First Amendment which provides for freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government.
Critics pointed out that Harry is a guest in his newly adopted country – and is free to return to the UK if he doesn’t like it in the US.
‘Don’t let the door knob hit you, Windsor,’ Fox News TV host Laura Ingraham tweeted.
‘Prince Harry is attacking America’s First Amendment Tells you everything you need to know,’ tweeted Veteran Navy Intel officer Jack Posobiec.
Others accused Prince Harry of criticising one of America’s founding principles without trying to understand it first.
Another Twitter user wrote: ‘Prince Harry having strong opinions on the First Amendment without understanding it or informing himself about it shows how well he is assimilating here.’
‘Hey, go home! We fought a war to get rid of Royals on our soil No need to understand anything we do. Bye!!’ said Twitter user Diane.
Larry Keane wrote: ‘Well, here in America he has the right to say stupid things.
And another Twitter user joked: ‘I’ll fly to his house right f***ing now just to dump a box of Tetley in his pool if he keeps running his mouth like this.’
Prince Harry’s comments come two months after he was named to a left-leaning panel to ‘combat misinformation’ in the media.
The 36-year-old appeared on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert, to discuss mental health, his family, life in Los Angeles and his future projects.
He expressed shock at how much attention he received while living at film producer Tyler Perry’s mansion in Beverly Hills, and complained of the media ‘feeding frenzy’ the podcast host Dax Shepard and co-host Monica Padman.
The First Amendment was raised as Prince Harry was discussing his experiences of being hounded by the paparazzi having moved to Los Angeles, and how his then-neighbor – actor Orlando Bloom – would keep him updated on their whereabouts.
In one instance, Harry describes how Bloom warned him of a photographer lying down in the back of a van as he and his wife Katy Perry were out in the local area with their young child.
In another instance, Harry recalls how paparazzi were flying helicopters and drones to get snaps of him and Meghan, and even cutting holes their fence.
Harry asked the podcast hosts: ‘How is that normal? How is that acceptable?’
Shepard, who also shared his family’s troubles faced with the paparazzi, spoke of how he and his wife – actress Kirsten Bell – started a social media campaign to shield children from press photographers called the ‘No Kids Policy’.
‘When we took this on, I didn’t try for a second to say legally, this shouldn’t be allowed, because I know our First Amendment is such that it is going to protect the press as in some ways it should. It’s the Fourth Estate. That wasn’t my argument,’ Shepard told Harry, in reference to taking photos of celebrates.
He went on to argue that paparazzi should have a moral responsibility to not take photographs of celebrity’s children, as they did not choose a life of fame.
In response, Harry said: I don’t want to start sort of going down the first amendment route, because that’s a huge subject and one of which I don’t understand as I’ve only been in for a short period of time, but you can find a loophole in anything and you can capitalise or exploit what’s not said, rather than uphold what is said.
‘I believe we live in an age now where you’ve got certain elements of the media redefining to us what privacy means. There’s a massive conflict of interest.
‘And then you’ve got social media platforms, trying to redefine what free speech means […] And we’re living in this world where we’ve almost like all the laws have been completely flipped by the very people that need them flipped […] can make more money and they can capitalise off our pain [and] grief.
‘I’ve got so much I want to say about the First Amendment. I still don’t understand it, but it is bonkers,’ he added.
Happy anniversary Harry and Meghan! Fans of the Sussexes share tribute to the couple as they celebrate three years of marriage – but official royal accounts stay silent
Fans of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken to social media to share support for the couple on their third anniversary.
Supporters of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted sweet tributes as they looked back at the royal wedding at St George’s Chapel in Windsor three years ago, with many wishing the pair well following a tumultuous year for The Firm.
Posting pictures of the elaborate day, one royal fan wrote: ‘Happy 3rd Wedding Anniversary, Harry and Meghan! Gosh, it all seems like a lifetime ago, so much has happened! Hope you spend a wonderful day today, celebrating your love and happiness!’
It’s the second year official royal accounts have stayed silent on Harry and Meghan’s big day, with the official royal family account announcing the pregnancy of Harry’s cousin Princess Beatrice instead.
Elsewhere, Prince Charles and Camilla undertook royal duties in Northern Ireland, as they were pictured chatting to stall holders in Bangor, while Kate Middleton viewed two new exhibitions at the V&A, which opened its doors to the public for the first since December.
Harry and Meghan themselves have not spoken on their celebrations, but it is likely they will be celebrating at home in Montecito, California.
Yesterday, the Duke and Duchess announced their supporters had helped to raise $3 million to pay for Covid-19 vaccinations in disadvantaged countries in a campaign drive organised to mark their son Archie’s birthday.
Fans of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken to social media to share support for the couple on their third anniversary.
It’s been a very busy three years for the couple, who have welcomed their first child, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, now two, and are expecting their second child due in early summer.
Harry and Meghan infamously announced they were expecting Archie at the wedding of Beatrice’s sister, Princess Eugenie in 2018.
In their explosive book Royals At War, investigative journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett claimed Meghan ’embarrassed’ Harry after divulging the news on Eugenie’s wedding day ‘in a huge social gaffe’ which left the bride and her mother Sarah Ferguson ‘furious’.
Several royal fans took social media to agree, point out the ‘interesting coincidence’ of Beatrice announcing on Harry and Meghan’s anniversary, with one writing: ‘Here comes Karma! Lovely news too,’ while a second commented: ‘I love it. A little karma/poetic justice.’
Since leaving The Firm, the couple have publicly spoken out against Harry’s family, with their explosive interview with Oprah earlier this year revealing many a rift.
During the interview, Meghan said she and Harry held a private ‘union’ in their backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury and no other guests on 16th May – meaning their anniversary would have been earlier this week.
Supporters of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted sweet tributes as they looked back at the royal wedding at St George’s Chapel in Windsor three years ago, with many wishing the pair well following a tumultuous year for The Firm.
Charles and Camilla were pictured in Bangor, Northern Ireland today as Harry and Meghan celebrated their anniversary
The couple enjoyed themselves as they spoke to stall holders in the open air market
The Duchess of Cornwall during a visit to Bangor Market where she walked around and meeting stall holders at the open-air market
Meghan said ‘no one knew’ about the secret ceremony, in which the pair shared personal vows for ‘just the two of us’.
Britons were left fuming as it raised questions why the £32million taxpayer-funded wedding at Windsor Castle in May 2018 was necessary.
However rules on Church of England weddings are strict. They require at least two witnesses, and their wedding certificate blows holes in the story – showing they did indeed get married on May 19th.
Despite the string of controversial comments, Harry and Meghan’s fans are as vocal as ever, with many sharing their well wishes online.
‘Happy Third Wedding Anniversary to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex!’ said one account.
‘Happy Anniversary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, our lovely Meghan and Harry. I love your beautiful love story and I pray that the love you have for each other continues to grow. Cheers to forever and ever,’ added another.
Meghan and Harry are pictured on their wedding day in 2018 at Windsor Castle
Royal patron: Kate Middleton, 39, who studied art history at university, viewed two new exhibitions as the London museum opened its doors to the public for the first time this year. Pictured, with V&A director Tristram Hunt
The Duchess firstly visited the museum’s Raphael Court, home to the Raphael Cartoons, which reopened today following a nine-month refurbishment to mark the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death
‘I remember May 19, 2018, I stayed up all night to watch Harry and Meghan’s wedding and it was so beautiful and I will never forget. Happy Three Year Anniversary to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex,’ wrote a third.
‘Happy Anniversary, Harry and Meghan! What a truly wonderful day that was. It still conjures love, hope, and magic. May you continue to thrive, grow and live your dreams. So glad you are together. You are a bright light in our world. Stay shining ,’ added another.
‘I can’t stop thinking about the fact that Harry & Meghan will get their perfect anniversary gift in a few months when Baby Sussex 2, the little girl that Meghan has been waiting since she was younger, will be born. what a good way to celebrate!’ said one.
Meanwhile the couple announced their followers had helped raise $3 million for charity to mark their son Archie’s second birthday.
Earlier this month, they asked their supporters to donate to GAVI, a vaccine alliance which buys Covid-19 vaccines for the world, in a post on their Archewell Foundation website.
It’s the second year official royal accounts have stayed silent on Harry and Meghan’s big day, with fans more than making up for it as hundreds of tributes poured in.
The Sussexes said a $5 donation would be matched by organisations supporting the appeal to become $20 – which would cover the purchase of four vaccines.
Posting on their website today, the couple announced: ‘You helped raise over $3million for vaccine equity in honor of Archie’s birthday!’
In a statement shared online, they wrote: ‘Every dollar that you generously contributed was matched dollar-for-dollar by organizations like Seadream Family Foundation and Mastercard Impact Fund to bring the total of funding for this cause to over $3 million!
‘Congratulations and thank you for helping to make the world a more compassionate and equitable place. We are proud to have you as part of the Archewell community.
It comes as the couple have appeared in a string of controversial interviews with US media, including a bombshell interview with Oprah earlier this year.
‘As evidenced through this activation, our shared purpose can yield extraordinary results. Look at what happens when we come together for the greater good!’
It comes as the couple have appeared in a string of controversial interviews with US media, including a bombshell interview with Oprah earlier this year.
A recent poll shows that three out of five people Brits think the couple should be stripped of their official titles as the Duke and Duchess.
The Queen ordered the couple not to use their HRH – His or Her Royal Highness – status, but they now style themselves Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in their commercial dealings.
The survey of just over 4,500 adults was carried out by YouGov on May 17 following the release of a podcast in which Harry attacked his father’s and grandparents’ parenting styles.
The couple tied the knot in a surprise secret wedding at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park on 25 September 2020.
It comes as sources close to Harry claimed that his complaints were ‘no different’ to his father’s account of his unhappy childhood in an authorised 1994 biography by Jonathan Dimbleby.
In the Armchair Expert podcast last week, Harry said that his move to the US was in part to ‘break the cycle’ of ‘genetic pain’ for his own children.
The issue is likely to be picked over again on Friday when he features in a series on mental health for Apple TV+.
Yesterday it emerged that the couple are winding down their UK-based Sussex Royal charity, which was renamed MWX Trading following their decision to quit as working royals.
Last year no royal family social media account shared messages for the couple to mark their special day, while the official Royal Family account were the only family members to pay tribute to the couple’s first wedding anniversary, writing at the time: ‘Wishing The Duke and Duchess of Sussex a very happy wedding anniversary.
‘Today marks one year since Their Royal Highnesses exchanged vows at St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle.’
Their focus has remained on the Queen’s future garden parties, while Kensington Palace, Clarence House and the other official accounts remained silent.
Touché Harry and Meghan! Princess Beatrice reveals pregnancy on the Sussexes’ third wedding anniversary -after couple angered the Yorks by announcing they were expecting at Princess Eugenie’s wedding
Princess Beatrice revealed that she is pregnant with her first child on the Sussexes’ third wedding anniversary – after the couple angered the Yorks by announcing they were expecting at Princess Eugenie’s wedding.
The Queen’s granddaughter, 32, who tied the knot with Italian property developer Edo Mapelli Mozzi on 17 July last year, are expecting the baby in autumn 2021, Buckingham Palace announced this morning.
The Queen and both families are said to be ‘delighted’ with the news, which will have brought much joy to the monarch who is mourning the loss of her husband Prince Philip, who died last month aged 99.
Princess Eugenie’s baby will be the second grandchild for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson and the Queen’s 12th great-grandchild following the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan’s Markle’s second child in the summer.
Beatrice’s baby boy or girl will be born 11th in line to the throne, but although their mother is a princess, he or she will not have a royal title.
Only grandchildren of the monarch through the male line are automatically entitled to the styling of HRH. This means he or she will be plain Master or Miss Mapelli Mozzi.
The Queen could bestow a title on her great-grandchild if desired, but it is unlikely to be asked for.
But several royal fans took social media to point out the timing of the couple’s happy announcement, with one branding it an ‘interesting coincidence’ that the royal baby news was announced on Harry and Meghan’s third wedding anniversary.
Princess Beatrice revealed that she is pregnant with her first child on the Sussexes’ third wedding anniversary – after the couple angered the Yorks by announcing they were expecting at Princess Eugenie’s wedding. Pictured, with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi enjoying lunch al Fresco with a friend in Notting Hill, West London on 9 May
The couple tied the knot in a surprise secret wedding at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park on 7 July 2020
The Queen has been informed and both families are delighted with the news, Buckingham Palace announced this morning (pictured)
He added: ‘Beatrice’s sister, Princess Eugenie, was said to have been surprised that Meghan chose to announce that she was pregnant to guests at her wedding in 2018.’
A second commented: ‘Here comes Karma! Lovely news too,’ while a third wrote: ‘I love it. A little karma/poetic justice.’
In their explosive book Royals At War, investigative journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett claimed Meghan Markle ’embarrassed’ Prince Harry after divulging she was pregnant during Princess Eugenie’s wedding day ‘in a huge social gaffe’ which left the bride and her mother Sarah Ferguson ‘furious’.
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, is said to have revealed she was carrying her first child when celebrating Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s nuptials with the rest of the Royal family on 12 October 2018.
Princess Beatrice and her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi are expecting their first child in the Autumn and the Queen is ‘delighted’ by the news. Pictured, Princess Beatrice last spotted with mother Sarah Ferguson leaving Windsor Castle on May 15
Taking to the comments section, one person penned: ‘Here comes Karma! Lovely news too,’ while a second commented: ‘Good for them. It was spiteful what Meghan did on Eugenie’s wedding day’ (pictured)
‘Meghan put her foot in it when she decided that it would be the ideal moment to announce that she and Harry were expecting their first child,’ the pair wrote.
‘This was a huge social gaffe, even if you were not a royal – stealing the limelight from Eugenie, who was furious, as was her mother, Sarah.’
The authors claim the announcement left Prince Harry, who is living in Montecito, California, with his wife and son, feeling ’embarrassed’.
One royal fan who took to Twitter to comment on the timing of the news wrote: ‘Good for them, it was spiteful what Meghan did on Eugenie’s wedding day,’ while another noted: ‘I picked up on that as well.’
However, a third commented: ‘And announced exactly on Harry and Meghan’s third wedding anniversary. What a way to be petty.’
Princess Beatrice became an aunt earlier this year when her sister Eugenie gave birth to her first child, August with husband Jack Brooksbank on 9 February.
The royal was last seen being accompanied by her mother Sarah Ferguson as she drove away from Windsor castle in her personalised Range Rover on 15 May.
Princess Beatrice looked relaxed as she chatted away at the table while checking out her friend’s phone, who appeared to be showing the couple an image.
The royal was also spotted strolling through London on 4 May and concealed any hint of a baby bump by wrapping up warm in a brown coat with a black tie up belt.
Looking chic and stylish, she carried a blue Louis Vuitton Handbag with dark sunglasses as she chatted away on her phone out in Mayfair.
Since revealed their happy news, the couple have been flooded with congratulatory messages from well-wishers across the globe.
‘Ahhh lovely news! Congratulations to the couple!!! I’m so happy for them and the entire family! I can’t wait to meet him/her,’ enthused one,’ while a second suggested a touching tribute to Prince Philip and wrote: ‘I’d love a baby girl this time around. Maybe pretty Philippa.’
A third added: ‘Congratulations to the couple. The Queen was in much need of some good news after losing her puppy. This is it.’
A fourth wrote: ‘Yay! Congratulations to HRH Princess Beatrice and Edoardo! What needed happy news for the royal family!’ while a fifth commented: ‘Congratulations to them, it’s about time the Queen had some good news.’
Princess Eugenie’s baby will be the second grandchild for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson and the Queen’s 12th great-grandchild following the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan’s Markle’s second child in the summer. Pictured, line of succession
The royal was spotted strolling through London on 4 May and concealed any hint of a baby bump by wrapping up warm in a brown coat with a black tie up belt (pictured)
A rather windswept Princess wore a warm brown coat with a black tie up belt, a stylish blue Louis Vuitton Handbag with dark sunglasses as she chatted away on her phone out in Mayfair on May 4
Taking to social media, royal fans congratulated Princess Beatrice and Edo on their happy news (pictured)
