Prince Harry fulfilled a special request from an elderly man at an emergency evacuation center in California amid a series of wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area.
On January 10, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle went incognito to visit the Pasadena Convention Center to help with relief efforts after the Eaton Fire (one of three wildfires still burning in LA), where they served food, delivered supplies and met with affected people. According to Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, who spent time there with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry sprang into action when an elderly man asked for a doughnut.
Gordo said Pasadena Star-News that he saw Prince Harry, 40, sitting with a bedridden, elderly man and approached him with a trolley of food, prompting Harry to ask the man if he wanted a sandwich, tangerines or water.
“The gentleman said, ‘What I’d really like is a donut,'” Gordo told the outlet, quoting Prince Harry as replying, “There’s no donut here, but I’ll find one.” ”
Prince Harry and Victor Gordo, mayor of Pasadena, visit a house that was destroyed in Altadena on January 10, 2025.
Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty
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“He leaves, and 10 minutes later he comes back with a doughnut. The gentleman looks up and says, ‘I guess I need my carbs and my sugar.’ That gentleman is at the convention center tonight and he doesn’t know that Prince Harry brought him that doughnut,” the mayor said.
Gordo shared that the man turned to Harry and said, “If you ever run for anything, I’ll vote for you.”
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Prince Harry, left, with Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, center, in Altadena on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex discreetly supported fire relief efforts while in the Pasadena area on January 10, where they heard heart-wrenching stories and experienced first-hand the strong community spirit. The couple donated essentials, served meals with World Central Kitchen (a long-time partner of their Archewell Foundation charity), and connected with affected families and seniors.
They also thanked first responders, including LA County Fire and Police, along with Jennifer Siebel News, California First Partner and Mayor Gordo. Harry and Meghan also met with chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen (Archewell’s charity partner) to praise the relief teams. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex greeted Andrés with hugs in a video shared by FOX 11 Los Angeles, where the couple wore casual clothes and baseball caps.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have opened their Montecito home to friends who were forced to evacuate due to the Los Angeles wildfires
Harry and Meghan have also made monetary donations through their Archwell Foundation and plan to continue to support the recovery and restoration mission with future visits.
“They’re great people, great personalities and a big heart to come out here and meet the first responders, meet the people who were affected.” Gordo told FOX what it was like to have the support of Prince Harry and Meghan. “It’s very important. They really cheered up the first responders.”
January 12, three days from the scheduled premiere of her new series With love, Meghan on Netflix, Meghan announced that she was delaying the premiere of the series from January 15th to March 4th due to the devastating wildfires. An industry insider tells PEOPLE that the decision was “easy” for the Duchess of Sussex, driven by concern for her hometown and those affected by the fires.
“Postponing the release of With Love, Meghan was probably an easy decision for her. I don’t think she could have imagined starting a show focused on joy and hosting when so many people in her home state no longer have homes to host people in,” an insider tells PEOPLE. . “I think it’s sad that critics are saying that she’s only doing this to avoid the fires that have overshadowed her show. We are all human and we are dealing with disaster.”
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Meghan Markle in Altadena on January 10, 2025.
Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty
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Prince Harry and Meghan (43) have been living in California since 2020 and reside with their children, Prince Archie (5) and Princess Lilibet (3), further north in Montecito, which is about 140 kilometers from the Los Angeles area. The Duchess of Sussex was born and raised in LA, and her upcoming show, filmed in Montecito, pays homage to the beauty of Southern California.
PEOPLE previously confirmed that Meghan and Prince Harry opened their own home to friends and loved ones who were forced to evacuate. The Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire and Hurst Fire were still burning as of Jan. 13, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton Fire, near where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were visiting, is 33% contained.
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An aerial view of a neighborhood devastated by the Eaton fire in Altadena on January 12, 2025.
David McNew/Getty
Fast-growing wildfires across Los Angeles, exacerbated by high winds and fed by dry vegetation, began last week on January 7 and forced thousands of people to evacuate for safety. The LA County Medical Examiner estimated on January 12 that there were at least 24 deaths.
Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the LA fires.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education