This is the touching moment Meghan Markle called Prince Harry ‘my love’ before singing Happy Birthday during a surprise visit to the family of a teacher killed in a Texas school shooting.
Heroic Irma Garcia sacrificed her own life during the killing at Texas’ Robb Elementary School in May 2022 in a bid to allow her young students to get to safety.
In a tragic twist two days later, Irma’s husband, Joe, died from a broken heart.
Footage shows the Duchess of Sussex sharing a heartfelt moment with Harry as they stood in the kitchen of the family’s home to celebrate a birthday.
Meghan is seen holding a cake with candles for the mother of Irma’s nephew, John, before she turns around to Harry to check he is still there and calls him ‘my love’.
Harry and Meghan were visiting Uvalde in Texas for a local event to support families who were affected by the mass shooting. The event was planned by KABOOM! – an organisation which made a commitment to the community following the 2022 shooting.
John, 22, shared photos of the royals’ visit to their house, adding that he could not believe how the Sussexes were so ‘loving and supportive’.
He said that having Harry and Meghan come into their home ‘felt like having family and friends over’ and that they fit ‘right in’.
Footage shows Meghan calling Prince Harry ‘my love’ before singing Happy Birthday
Prince Harry and Meghan timed their visit to coincide with John’s mother’s birthday, with the couple even bringing them a birthday cake
Harry and Meghan made a surprise trip to Uvalde, Texas to visit the family of Irma Garcia, a teacher who was killed in the May 2022 shooting at the Robb Elementary School. They are pictured with her 22-year-old nephew, John
John, 22, posted photos of royal’s visit to social media. They see the Duchess of Sussex speaking with him his driveway
The pair shared a selfie together in the warm Texas sunshine
John posted gushing tweets following the visit by the Duke and Duchess
Meghan has kept in touch with the family since the tragic shooting in May 2022
John said the couple surprised his mother with a cake – as videos showed a glowing Meghan smiling warmly as she held the white dessert.
She and Harry – who were stood in the kitchen among their family – led the singing as they joined the heartwarming scene.
Meghan lit the candles on the cake and began the countdown for singing happy birthday before saying ‘with everyone singing too,’ to which a family member responded ‘It’s you first and then we’ll go after!’
The Duchess, 42, donned black skinny jeans and and a long-sleeve blouse, which she paired with gold jewellery.
The actress looked in high spirits as she held the decorated gateau, with her husband Prince Harry smiling in the background.
And as they shared ‘intimate memories’, John said they shared ‘tears of joy’ with the Montecito pair.
‘Meghan Markle singing my mom happy birthday was the cutest most adorable thing ever, she even bought her a cake,’ Ms Garcia’s grateful nephew wrote.
Speaking to HELLO!, John added: ‘It truly meant the world that Harry and Meghan showed up to visit the family, there were lots of tears of joy and heartfelt moments.
‘They were the kindest, most humble people ever, it was like having family and friends over, having an amazing time together.
‘They fit right in, we laughed a lot and shared intimate memories together.’
John explained that the pair had ‘kept in touch’ with the Garcia family regularly since the senseless shooting.
‘They keep in touch every other month, sometimes a little longer, but with their busy lives, them visiting truly felt more special,’ he said.
Irma Garcia, a teacher at the Robb Elementary School was killed in the May 2022 shooting
Two days after Irma’s death, her husband, Joe, died from a broken heart
On the May 24, 2022, 19 children and two teachers were killed after a gunman walked into Robb Elementary school in Texas and began firing.
One of the children, aged 10, aspired to be a lawyer and another wanted to be a marine biologist.
A third pupil had been saving up money to go to Disney World. But they never got the chance to go on the trip.
Meghan visited Uvalde just two days after the shooting where paid her condolences and laid a bouquet of white roses tied with a purple ribbon at the cross for 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes told the outlet that Meghan went there unannounced to privately pay her condolences at the time.
After the visit, it is believed the Duchess went to the Herby Ham Activity Center, delivering crates of food and drinks to blood donors.
On Friday, Harry and Meghan visited were all smiles as they headed into Austin’s La Barbecue restaurant.
Harry and Meghan both embraced co-owner Alison Clem in a warm hug each before being escorted inside where they greeted other workers.
The Duchess seemed relaxed as she mingled with restaurant workers, even posing for photos along with her husband.
The visit came after Meghan opened up about the ‘hateful’ cyber-bullying she received while pregnant with Archie and Lilibet during SXSW festival.
She arrived in Texas on Friday to discuss ‘breaking barriers and challenging stereotypes’ at an event at the festival alongside Brooke Shields and Katie Couric.
John, 22, posed with the royal couple in the living room of his home in Uvalde
Meghan, 42, talked about social media use and claimed most of the online hate she experienced happened while she was pregnant with her two young children.
‘I keep my distance from it right now for my wellbeing but the bulk of the bullying and abuse I was experiencing in social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and with Lili, and with a newborn, with each of them,’ she said.
‘You just think about that and to wrap your head about why people would be so hateful. It’s not catty it’s cruel. Why you would do that when you’re pregnant or as a mom it’s such a tender and sacred time.’
She added: ‘You could succumb to it, or nearly succumb to how painful that is. Or maybe because I was pregnant that mammalian instinct just kicks in to do everything you can to protect your child and as a result protect yourself too.’
Meanwhile, Prince Harry was seen clapping in the front row to support his wife Meghan – next to her old friend and confidante Markus Anderson.
This comes as the Duchess is said to have hired a ‘new PR guru’ in time for her UK relaunch.
Meghan visited Uvalde just two days after the shooting where paid her condolences and laid a bouquet of white roses tied with a purple ribbon at the cross for 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, visits a memorial site in Uvalde, Texas in May 2022 to honor the victims killed in the elementary school shooting
Meghan wants a stellar publicist to help her promote a new mystery business venture in 2024 that has reportedly been months in the making.
An unnamed executive has been recruited to help her handle the Duchess’s UK and European media operation and promote Archewell, the foundation she runs with her husband Prince Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex’s new project is said to have been in the pipeline since last year and described as ‘highly personal to her’ and ‘genuine to who she is’ by The Daily Telegraph.
It will only feed deafening rumours that she wants to relaunch her lifestyle blog The Tig, especially after her friend Gwyneth Paltrow ‘s GOOP brand burst through the $250million value over Christmas.
revealed her search new UK PR executive- but those at the heart of the industry claimed it won’t be an easy job because the Sussexes’ don’t have a reputation for being good listeners.
One described the role as ‘a s**t sandwich that many senior PR people will not be willing to eat’.