A ‘protective’ Prince Harry has wrapped his arms around his wife Meghan in a very public show of unity as they returned to royal-style engagements after a series of self-inflicted PR disasters.
The couple have shared a new picture of them cuddling at Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles where they had prepared meals for the poor and hungry to be delivered on Thanksgiving today.
‘Harry has his arms around Meghan to stress their closeness after recent controversies’, a royal source told the Daily Mail today.
It came after a PR problem sparked by their attendance at Kris Jenner‘s 70th birthday, a row over disputed accusations that the Duchess had been taking dresses from cover shoots without permission and negative headlines related to Meghan’s recent Harper’s Bazaar cover story.
The new image, posted by their Archewell foundation with the caption ‘Show up, do good’ and ‘Honouring the season through service’ overnight, showed a grinning Harry behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
Meghan is also smiling broadly having taken her husband’s hand and leant back into him surrounded by a huge team of Our Big Kitchen staff and volunteers.
Another royal insider told the Daily Mail today that the warm image was ‘very telling’ given the events of recent weeks – and suggested the engagement was clearly inspired by events carried out more regularly by the Prince and Princess of Wales with their children George, Charlotte and Louis.
The source added: ‘Harry is clearly very protective of his wife. They look very happy and close’.
Harry wraps his arms around his wife in a show of unity in a new image of the couple released last night
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken Lilibet and Archie to bake cookies for the needy on the eve of Thanksgiving
Another source said the choice of image was a show of defiance and family – and a sign that they remain rooted in the US as a couple.
‘These are pictures that say everything about the Sussexes: an all-American event celebrating Thanksgiving but a highly curated image issued after the visit via social media. They want to control their image and avoid dealing directly with the US press’, the expert said.
‘One of the main reasons that Harry and Meghan lost the support of much of the British public was the feeling that they wanted it all ways. They want to be treated like royalty, keep royal titles for themselves and their children, but avoid much of the attention and scrutiny that goes with it.
‘Thanksgiving is all about families getting together. So naturally, the kids are there but the public doesn’t get to see the faces of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the sixth and seventh in line to the throne’.
The Sussexes went to Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles with their children, who were involved in making cookies. A smiling Meghan held hands with Lilibet, who wore a tartan dress and had her hair in a plait, and watched on as Harry dished up a meal of mince, rice and peppers into a tupperware box.
The charity event came after Harry and Meghan’s trip to Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party at Jeff Bezos’ mansion backfired after pictures of them partying inside were mysteriously deleted by the birthday girl and her daughter Kim Kardashian, making headlines around the world.
Meghan was revealed as the cover star of the latest edition of Harper’s Bazaar last week and spoke of how Harry loved her ‘deeply’ and will always have her back.
But its writer caused a storm when she revealed that Meghan was announced as the ‘Duchess of Sussex’ to a near-empty room and was served a cappuccino with her face in the froth at the exclusive Beverly Hills Hotel.
And yesterday her spokesman furiously denied claims in the US press that she had taken a £1,300 green Galvan dress from 2022 photoshoot with Variety, saying it was ‘highly defamatory’ to suggest she had done so ‘without the full knowledge and agreement of the on-set stylists’.
The Duchess of Sussex volunteered at Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles and was seen posing with Lili and Archie and other children, although their faces were deliberately not shown
The Duchess of Sussex included a picture of her alongside daughter Lilibet, four, in the Instagram montage. Lili wore a tartan dress and had her hair in a plait
Yesterday in Los Angeles, Meghan, 44, posted a montage on Instagram of her and husband Harry, 41, grinning as they took part in the baking session.
The couple baked cookies, sliced vegetables and assembled packaged meals to be delivered ahead of the American holiday.
They volunteered at Our Big Kitchen, a community-run kitchen that prepares meals to distribute to those experiencing food insecurity across Los Angeles.
Meghan captioned the post ‘Show up. Do Good’ – the motto of the Sussexes’ Archewell Foundation.
She could be seen helping shape cookies while wearing an Archewell Foundation apron and also posted a snap of volunteers chopping peppers.
A smiling Meghan held hands with Lilibet and watched on as Harry dished up a meal of mince, rice and peppers into a tupperware box.
Meghan captioned the post ‘Show up. Do Good’ – the motto of the Sussexes Archewell Foundation
In another snap Harry is seen rolling a cookie into shape as he sports a black cap emblazoned with the logo of the kitchen.
Meghan also posted a picture of dozens of meals ready to be handed out across the Californian city.
‘As the season of giving begins, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, alongside the Archewell team, joined Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA) to prepare and package meals for community members experiencing food insecurity,’ non-profit Archewell wrote.
‘OBKLA is a community-run nonprofit kitchen that brings people together to prepare and distribute fresh, high-quality meals for Angelenos facing hardship.
‘The meals prepared will reach local schools, shelters, senior centers, and other community organizations serving our neighbors in need.
‘Each year, OBKLA provides more than 70,000 nourishing meals while fostering a sense of care, connection, and belonging.
‘Meals produced during our session were distributed to community-based organizations, including Los Angeles Mercy Housing, Pico Union Project, and PATH.
‘The Archewell Foundation remains committed to putting compassion into action—serving and uplifting communities locally and globally.
‘As we head into the holiday season, we celebrate those working every day to ensure that no one is left behind and that the needs of our neighbors are met,’ it added.
The baking trip comes on the day Meghan was widely mocked for her Thanksgiving turkey.
The couple volunteered at Our Big Kitchen, a community-run kitchen which prepares meals to distribute across Los Angeles
Meghan shared a short clip to Instagram showing her preparing a turkey ahead of the holiday.
In the video, the actress mixed a variety of seasonings into a bowl, rubbing the mixture onto the raw bird to prepare it for the oven.
Although she appears to wash her hands after rubbing the seasoning in, eagle-eyed viewers noticed she kept all her jewelry on while handling the raw meat, sparking concern about her lack of kitchen hygiene.
‘I don’t know anyone who wears their rings and bracelets when handling food, especially a turkey. Guaranteed spread of bacteria,’ one horrified user commented on the video.
A second wrote: ‘I mean I love sparkly engagement rings as much as the next jewelry-hound, but not while cooking!’
‘Right? Who wants crap getting stuck in your ring’s setting?’ asked another.
‘So gross, and it’s basic food handling knowledge. Proof she has no idea what she’s doing,’ declared someone else.
