The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 10: August 2024 -

[HenRach Dominion]

I’m glad that the Sussexes are using their platform to point people towards resources that can help them, along with donating items and opening their home to loved ones who need it. I’ve read personal accounts in other forums how devastating the Kenneth Fire is, and they’re grateful for anyone willing to lend any support they can, no matter how big or small.

 

[Sunnystar]

Montecito is so far away from where the current fires are located. All of Southern California gets the wind warnings but at no point have the Sussexes been under any Mandatory Evacuation orders nor have they even had any evacuation warnings in their area.

 

[Curryong]

I don’t think anyone has said that they ARE in the direct path of these fires. The only time I read any suggestion that they were was in a British tabloid yesterday.

However, if the Sussexes wish to help by donating food and goods or taking friends and others into their home from the Palisades who have lost everything, that is surely to the good, isn’t it? It’s only human to wish to help in this sort of a crisis. They were both seen in fact on our news services here in Australia tonight, helping displaced people by giving out food donations at an emergency centre.

 

[Ghost]

I don’t think anyone has said that they ARE in the direct path of these fires. The only time I read any suggestion that they were was in a British tabloid yesterday.

However, if the Sussexes wish to help by donating food and goods or taking friends in from the Palisades who have lost everything, that is surely to the good, isn’t it. It’s only human to wish to help in this sort of a crisis. They were both seen in fact on our news services here in Australia tonight, helping people by giving out food donations at an emergency centre.

Helping like in doing something? I’ve only seen them talking to officials and hugging left and right.
I don’t want to disparage any kind of help offered but to my untrained eyes it seems very self serving.
And I don’t think that any John Doe would have had access in the area or to be able to approach officials. It is their names that gives them the opportunity. That evil RF. Meghan Markle couldn’t have, Princess Markle can.

 

[iceflower]

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited a food bank and met victims and first responders of the fires:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make surprise appearance in LA amid raging wildfires

The Sussexes had previously called on people to donate to relief funds

www.hellomagazine.com

Meghan and Prince Harry comfort LA fire victims and first responders

The couple were seen handing out food parcels to those affected by the devastating fires at the World Central Kitchen in Pasadena on Friday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Curryong]

This is one report. They also arrived with food parcels with the chief of World Central Kitchens that they have been connected to and donated to for years.

https://www.gbnews.com/royal/prince-harry-meghan-markle-support-fire-victims-latest-royal

‘The Sussexes donated essential supplies, including clothing and children's items, to aid the victims of the deadly fires during their unannounced visit to the Pasadena community on January 10.’

 

[Ghost]

There isn’t any mention of food in that article, it talks about clothing, toys (as mentioned a few days ago on their site) and monetary donations through archewell (so not their money) to support the rebuilding of the area. Also, that they met with Jose with whom they’ve been working for a few years. Nicely put to say not very much. Funny how it’s said they’ve done it discreetly.

 

[Curryong]

Meghan and Prince Harry comfort LA fire victims and first responders

The couple were seen handing out food parcels to those affected by the devastating fires at the World Central Kitchen in Pasadena on Friday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

‘The couple were keen to provide any support they could, according to the Mayor, saying they were 'great people' with 'great personalities'.

'They really buoyed the spirits of the first responders. We visited the command post at the Rose Bowl and people were very happy to see them,' the Mayor added.

And the couple arrived unannounced. With food donations.

 

[Curryong]

It says ‘food parcels’ in the above report from the Daily Mail. It also states that they visited the wrecked homes of residents and spoke to those who had lived there.

 

[zarat]

Another PR opportunity for always attention-seeking Meghan.... Cynical me is thinking that after her so-called cooking show we will be "blessed" with show entitled "Meghan rescuing the world"....

 

[Curryong]

So this couple should have done nothing and just stood by? Well, if I had been living anywhere nearby I sure as heck would have been there doing whatever little bit I could, even if it does cause criticism from others. We have bush fires here in Australia (often horrendous ones) practically every year, and everybody tries to lend a hand if they can.

 

[Ghost]

So this couple should have done nothing and just stood by? Well, if I had been living anywhere nearby I sure as heck would have been there doing whatever little bit I could, even if it does cause criticism from others. We have bush fires here in Australia (often horrendous ones) practically every year, and everybody tries to lend a hand if they can.

Dear, dear Curryong, I was taught that the good is done without fanfare. When the Royal Family does something publicly (and it comes to mind William and Harry with sacks of sand during the flooding many years ago, William and Catherine packing goods with Fred and Mary at the Red Cross in Copenhagen many years ago, Harry in Nepal many years ago and so on), so when the Royal Family does it publicly they do it to represent the effort of their people. They represent every Brit who has done it, to underline the British effort, good heart and interests.
When Harry and Meghan do it publicly, they only represent themselves. For their own good representation. Pure PR. It is not even to raise money as they don’t accept donations from the public.

 

[shady lady]

Helping like in doing something? I’ve only seen them talking to officials and hugging left and right.
I don’t want to disparage any kind of help offered but to my untrained eyes it seems very self serving.
And I don’t think that any John Doe would have had access in the area or to be able to approach officials. It is their names that gives them the opportunity. That evil RF. Meghan Markle couldn’t have, Princess Markle can.

Yep, yet another publicity opportunity, riding on the coat tails of another disaster. They can't resist. And the cameras there to report it all of course. She has no shame whatsoever. I've seen footage elsewhere where she was clearly unsettled because PH was taking attention away from her. I've also heard - unconfirmed of course - that they were only there for 17 minutes...

Princess Markle eh?

On a serious note, my thoughts remain with the victims of this terrible event.

 

[shady lady]

So this couple should have done nothing and just stood by? Well, if I had been living anywhere nearby I sure as heck would have been there doing whatever little bit I could, even if it does cause criticism from others. We have bush fires here in Australia (often horrendous ones) practically every year, and everybody tries to lend a hand if they can.

I'm sorry Curryong, but they are doing it - she is doing it - for publicity IMO. Especially with the show coming out imminently.

Edited to add: I am sure when you give your kind and much appreciated help, you don't assemble a camera crew to record it all. That's because you are doing it out of genuine kindness and a desire to help. You neither need or want publicity or attention. So well done you for doing that!

 

[Hallo girl]

We have now reached a stage with Meghan that we now see her through the lens of opportunism, it is sad that it has came to this. The problem is that due to their own words and deeds there are many people who are totally cynical about their motives. I am one of them.
They arrived with the chief of World Kitchen, giving them a way in with food parcels. Maybe they did bring food / clothes etc from home but the doubt is always there. Unannounced does not mean the press were not tipped off. I did not always have this view of them, I was very supportive , there are posts on this forum that will back that up. I was not turned off by British media in case anybody wants to mention them actually it was by their own words and actions.
I find the whole situation they now find themselves in as sad. For all the wealth and possessions they constantly need to promote themselves even in the middle of tragedy of this scale.

 

[tommy100]

On one hand - great they are using their fame to help others by raising awareness which is good. On the other they are doing in the most "royal", PR focussed way possible.

I don't see any reason for the Mayor of anywhere to be accompanying them - I'd expect any officials to have better things to do right now than accompany two celebrities around. Because in this context that is what they are - celebrities. Its noticeable that I saw pictures of Jennifer Garner helping out with World Central Kitchen without anyone accompanying her on a faux royal visit, yes she has used her fame to speak out but she is also doing something useful and meaningful to help. She has lived in Palisades for 25 years and has seen 100s of friends loose their homes and even lost a friend to the fires. So why are Harry and Meghan just visiting WCK and acting like royals rather than rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck in? Why are they being accompanied by officials? Let's also remember this is a good hour and a half from their home - its not like Garner or others who are surrounded by the destruction.

The reason the late Queen was so late visiting Aberfan was because she wouldn't countenance any surviving child or victim in the disaster being missed by officials focussing on her visiting. Even last year Charles took a long time to visit Southport after 3 children were killed and riots ensued to allow the community peace before hosting a royal visit.

I've also heard that they visited some of the affected areas where even the owners of those properties aren't being allowed back in. That makes me feel very uncomfortable as again, its using people's perception of them as "royals" to help their PR.

Again, I think its great they are doing something but, with royalty it is done on behalf of the whole country and is done for pretty selfless reasons. With H&M the fact they aren't representing a country and rely on PR and people knowing them for their commercial projects means no-one can truly feel what they are doing in selfless.

I hadn't even thought about the upcoming Netflix show until it was mentioned here but yes, that certainly adds another edge to it.

I commented pages back when Meghan's new show trailer was released that its great she is doing it because it shows she is seeing herself more as a celebrity than royal - and now she has gone back to trying to make us think they are working like royals. Pick a lane and stay in it.

 

[shady lady]

We have now reached a stage with Meghan that we now see her through the lens of opportunism, it is sad that it has came to this. The problem is that due to their own words and deeds there are many people who are totally cynical about their motives. I am one of them.
They arrived with the chief of World Kitchen, giving them a way in with food parcels. Maybe they did bring food / clothes etc from home but the doubt is always there. Unannounced does not mean the press were not tipped off. I did not always have this view of them, I was very supportive , there are posts on this forum that will back that up. I was not turned off by British media in case anybody wants to mention them actually it was by their own words and actions.
I find the whole situation they now find themselves in as sad. For all the wealth and possessions they constantly need to promote themselves even in the middle of tragedy of this scale.

You have summed the situation up perfectly, and my own position exactly. And the British - indeed worldwide - media has had no part whatsoever in me reaching those same conclusions. Like yourself, it is entirely their own words and actions that have led to these.

 

[victor1319]

Why do you think, the Sussexes brought a camera crew with them? In the DM pics can be seen "live" and "CBS". The pics the DM has, are snippets from tv.

To me it looks like the Sussexes went to where the center of the rescue efforts is. And there the cameras were already rolling. And the mayor was there too - Of course!

 

[Hallo girl]

On one hand - great they are using their fame to help others by raising awareness which is good. On the other they are doing in the most "royal", PR focussed way possible.

I don't see any reason for the Mayor of anywhere to be accompanying them - I'd expect any officials to have better things to do right now than accompany two celebrities around. Because in this context that is what they are - celebrities. Its noticeable that I saw pictures of Jennifer Garner helping out with World Central Kitchen without anyone accompanying her on a faux royal visit, yes she has used her fame to speak out but she is also doing something useful and meaningful to help. She has lived in Palisades for 25 years and has seen 100s of friends loose their homes and even lost a friend to the fires. So why are Harry and Meghan just visiting WCK and acting like royals rather than rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck in? Why are they being accompanied by officials? Let's also remember this is a good hour and a half from their home - its not like Garner or others who are surrounded by the destruction.

The reason the late Queen was so late visiting Aberfan was because she wouldn't countenance any surviving child or victim in the disaster being missed by officials focussing on her visiting. Even last year Charles took a long time to visit Southport after 3 children were killed and riots ensued to allow the community peace before hosting a royal visit.

I've also heard that they visited some of the affected areas where even the owners of those properties aren't being allowed back in. That makes me feel very uncomfortable as again, its using people's perception of them as "royals" to help their PR.

Again, I think its great they are doing something but, with royalty it is done on behalf of the whole country and is done for pretty selfless reasons. With H&M the fact they aren't representing a country and rely on PR and people knowing them for their commercial projects means no-one can truly feel what they are doing in selfless.

I hadn't even thought about the upcoming Netflix show until it was mentioned here but yes, that certainly adds another edge to it.

I commented pages back when Meghan's new show trailer was released that its great she is doing it because it shows she is seeing herself more as a celebrity than royal - and now she has gone back to trying to make us think they are working like royals. Pick a lane and stay in it.

I am uncomfortable with the idea that they are being escorted round an area that is allegedly closed off, also I am sure the mayor has higher priorities or at least should have. If this is being offered to them they should say no, why are they not doing practical things like serving food or sorting through clothes.

 

[shady lady]

Why do you think, the Sussexes brought a camera crew with them? In the DM pics can be seen "live" and "CBS". The pics the DM has, are snippets from tv.

To me it looks like the Sussexes went to where the center of the rescue efforts is. And there the cameras were already rolling. And the mayor was there too - Of course!

IMO, to try and control how they are seen, and to add useful footage for future projects - for the time being they are still under contract to Netflix and I suspect they are already trying to line up another deal if that one does indeed end in 2025. So taking a camera crew with them is par for the course.

And why is the mayor escorting the pair of them around in any case? Surely he has much more important things to do. And they should not be taken to places that are off limits to people who have a much better reason to be allowed access.

 

[tommy100]

I also wonder why they travelled to the fire further away from their home bypassing Malibu and the Pacific Palisades.

 

[Hallo girl]

Montecito is so far away from where the current fires are located. All of Southern California gets the wind warnings but at no point have the Sussexes been under any Mandatory Evacuation orders nor have they even had any evacuation warnings in their area.

Thank you for the information it is helpful, when you live in another country and do not have a full understanding of the geography of the area or distance it allows us to have a clearer picture.

 

[Hallo girl]

It says ‘food parcels’ in the above report from the Daily Mail. It also states that they visited the wrecked homes of residents and spoke to those who had lived there.

So the British Media is alright today. What is the purpose of the visit? They do not need to draw attention to the situation it is a world wide story,

 

[Queen Claude]

Harry and Meghan went to an an evacuation center set up in Pasadena which is 30 miles from Pacific Palisades.* This is near the fires but it is not ground zero so their presence at that location is not impeding the actual firefighting efforts.

It looks to me that the role that Pasadena and its mayor are playing is providing relief and comfort to displaced people and first responders and he stated that

'They really buoyed the spirits of the first responders. We visited the command post at the Rose Bowl and people were very happy to see them."​

so it seems to me him "escorting" the Sussexes about is in keeping with the role he and his city have taken on.

ETA:
* Correction, the Eaton fire is in / near Pasadena, so one of the fires is much closer to the Pasadena Convention Center where Harry and Meghan went.

 

[Hallo girl]

Harry and Meghan went to an an evacuation center set up in Pasadena which is 30 miles from Pacific Palisades. This is near the fires but it is not ground zero so their presence at that location is not impeding the actual firefighting efforts.

It looks to me that the role that Pasadena and its mayor are playing is providing relief and comfort to displaced people and first responders and he stated that

'They really buoyed the spirits of the first responders. We visited the command post at the Rose Bowl and people were very happy to see them."​

so it seems to me him "escorting" the Sussexes about is in keeping with the role he and his city have taken on.

I do not care who it is other than the President or possibly the Governor, this is an absolute tragedy of unimaginable proportions but all the mayor can do is escort the pseudo royals. Could somebody please tell me what the purpose of the visit is. Yes by all means post messages, donate money, food etc. even be hands on in the canteen or where they are organising donations. They have no authority to do anything or change anything.

Maybe having fire hydrants that worked would have bouyed the first responders.

 

[Maryrose]

This is a terrible situation in California. The Sussexes are pitching in to help. They are still partners with WCK and Jose Andres I think.Please lets not go down the road of this is a photo op. Not sure how other countries handle disasters but as an American I know we rally around and help anyway we can.

 

[soapstar]

A friend of mine lost their house in the Palisades fire, so the last few days have been an absolute nightmare. It’s heartbreaking and surreal seeing the destruction. All of the places we know and love are now gone. Every few hours there is a new evacuation order, and a new area where people have to scramble to get out of the area. We’re all on edge…it’s a scary time right now.

As for the Sussexes, it’s good to see them volunteering. In fact, it’s been heartening to see all of the volunteers (both celebs and non celebs) come together to hand out supplies and food. The devastation is beyond real, so it’s nice to see people step in to help each other.

Having said that, I do have an issue with them being allowed to survey the damage in Altadena. Many of the Altadena residents haven’t even been able to do that yet. The Sheriff and the National Guard are turning them away and not allowing them to go back and get their belongings, or check on their homes and neighborhoods. Yet two private citizens who don’t even live in the area, and aren’t part of the government, have been given priority over the actual residents. It makes me deeply uncomfortable. I don’t completely blame the Sussexes. City officials are also behind this decision. I don’t understand why they (or the Sussexes) felt this was appropriate. There is a lot of anger right now so this was absolutely not the right move.

 

[Hallo girl]

This is a terrible situation in California. The Sussexes are pitching in to help. They are still partners with WCK and Jose Andres I think.Please lets not go down the road of this is a photo op. Not sure how other countries handle disasters but as an American I know we rally around and help anyway we can.

I think we all rally round and help, we are fortunate that we do not have the extremes of weather here, but there have been other tragedies and locals have responded , others arranged amazing fund raisers. I do not have a problem with anybody helping but my cynical head will not let me past the point that they have managed to be photographed also articles in their usual outlets about what they are doing. Like others I am uncomfortable with them being escorted around areas that the residents are not allowed to enter, if that is true it is beyond despicable.

 

[shady lady]

This is a terrible situation in California. The Sussexes are pitching in to help. They are still partners with WCK and Jose Andres I think.Please lets not go down the road of this is a photo op. Not sure how other countries handle disasters but as an American I know we rally around and help anyway we can.

I am afraid this is a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

A friend of mine lost their house in the Palisades fire, so the last few days have been an absolute nightmare. It’s heartbreaking and surreal seeing the destruction. All of the places we know and love are now gone. Every few hours there is a new evacuation order, and a new area where people have to scramble to get out of the area. We’re all on edge…it’s a scary time right now.

As for the Sussexes, it’s good to see them volunteering. In fact, it’s been heartening to see all of the volunteers (both celebs and non celebs) come together to hand out supplies and food. The devastation is beyond real, so it’s nice to see people step in to help each other.

Having said that, I do have an issue with them being allowed to survey the damage in Altadena. Many of the Altadena residents haven’t even been able to do that yet. The Sheriff and the National Guard are turning them away and not allowing them to go back and get their belongings, or check on their homes and neighborhoods. Yet two private citizens who don’t even live in the area, and aren’t part of the government, have been given priority over the actual residents. It makes me deeply uncomfortable. I don’t completely blame the Sussexes. City officials are also behind this descion. I don’t understand why they (or the Sussexes) felt this was appropriate. There is a lot of anger right now so this was absolutely not the right move.

I am so sorry to hear that soapstar I cannot begin to imagine what it must feel like. Please look after yourselves at this dreadful time.

I think we all rally round and help, we are fortunate that we do not have the extremes of weather here, but there have been other tragedies and locals have responded , others arranged amazing fund raisers. I do not have a problem with anybody helping but my cynical head will not let me past the point that they have managed to be photographed also articles in their usual outlets about what they are doing. Like others I am uncomfortable with them being escorted around areas that the residents are not allowed to enter, if that is true it is beyond despicable.

Agree entirely. Real philanthropists quietly do what is required without the need for camera crews or publicising what they are doing.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

Having said that, I do have an issue with them being allowed to survey the damage in Altadena. Many of the Altadena residents haven’t even been able to do that yet. The Sheriff and the National Guard are turning them away and not allowing them to go back and get their belongings, or check on their homes and neighborhoods. Yet two private citizens who don’t even live in the area, and aren’t part of the government, have been given priority over the actual residents. It makes me deeply uncomfortable. I don’t completely blame the Sussexes. City officials are also behind this descion. I don’t understand why they (or the Sussexes) felt this was appropriate. There is a lot of anger right now so this was absolutely not the right move.

This occurred to me too. I could be wrong but I assume that the Sussexes did not get a private visit but rather accompanied officials during an already scheduled tour as a way to bring attention to Altadena. There are so many communities impacted, it must be very tempting for officials to try to focus the spotlight on the people they serve.

Maybe they do have ulterior motives but the people Harry and Meghan met seemed to be buoyed by the visit. They could have just stayed home but instead, they have joined other celebrities to offer some comfort.