Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Donate $130,000 To Celebrate Birthdays
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex may have quietly celebrated their birthdays in California but they also marked the special occasions in a big way.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex donated $130,000 to an African education charity in honor of their birthdays. Prince Harry turned 36 on Sept. 15, 2020, and Meghan celebrated her 39th birthday on Aug. 4, 2020.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s fans started a fundraiser in honor of their birthdays
According to the Daily Mail, Meghan and Harry made the donation after learning of efforts made by their supporters. Fans of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched a fundraiser for CAMFED, an organization that helps support girls’ education in Africa.
The fans, who refer to themselves as the Sussex Squad, raised $129,000 with their campaign. CAMFED announced the fundraiser’s grand total in a tweet on Sept. 15, 2020, and thanked everyone who donated.
“WOW! We’re over the moon with these numbers,” the charity said. “Thanks to your INCREDIBLE generosity!! You’ve raised funds to support *56* young women through 1 year of vocational training.”
The fundraiser initiated by the Sussex Squad didn’t go unnoticed by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in California.
Meghan Markle and Pince Harry matched donations made by fans
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex found out about the fan fundraiser, they decided to match the donations by pledging $130,000 themselves. Less than an hour after CAMFED tweeted the results of the fan fundraising campaign, the charity notified their Twitter followers about an update from Meghan and Harry.
“Just in, a message from The Duke & Duchess of Sussex, who are matching your INSPIRING actions by making a $130,000 gift to CAMFED,” they said.
“No better way to celebrate what really matters. Thank you to everyone who donated,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said, signing off as “Harry and Meghan.”
CAMFED is part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust
CAMFED is familiar to Harry and Meghan. The international charity is part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, which defines itself as a “growing network of young changemakers across the Commonwealth.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust president and vice-president, respectively. Meghan and Harry have retained their positions within the organization since stepping down as senior royals at the end of March 2020.
This isn’t the first time CAMFED’s received recognition from the British royal family. According to Town & Country, CAMFED was one of the first to receive an award from the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust after it was established in 2018.
As for Meghan and Harry, this isn’t the first time they’ve donated to charity to mark a special occasion. In 2019, the couple made a donation in honor of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, their now 1-year-old son.
