Meghan Markle Calls Women Behind Grenfell Community Kitchen; Twitter Reacts

Meghan Markle recently reached out to the women who created the Hubb community kitchen following the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire disaster in the U.K.

The Duchess of Sussex called the women from her California home Wednesday to praise them for their "incredible" achievements as they gathered for a celebratory lunch at the Al-Manaar center in London, Evening Standard reported.

Markle wrote the foreword for the "Hubb's Together" cookbook, which was published in 2017 to raise funds for a renovation of the kitchen that provided meals to homeless and bereaved locals after the Grenfell fire disaster. The tragedy claimed 72 lives.

"We founded Hubb together and I think what I'm most proud of is what you've all been able to do, not just what we created to meet an immediate need right after the fire," said the duchess, who has made a series of visits to the community kitchen, in her call.

The luncheon was to celebrate the achievements of the women who have launched their own projects since the cookbook. They continue to cook and provide for the community through various projects and initiatives to help the homeless, refugees, women who are victims of abuse, elderly women, frontline health workers, families in need and rehabilitated ex-offenders.

Chérine Mallah, a Hubb volunteer, told the outlet that it was "lovely" for Markle to acknowledge their work and celebrate them. She added that they were happy to hear from the Duchess of Sussex and that her support encourages them to continue with their projects and makes them feel "proud" of the work they've done.

"It is quite impressive really to have the support from Meghan. For us, it is just our normal lives. It is massive for us. The next days of our lives are just the same but we know that someone as famous as Meghan is backing us. It is really lovely," Mallah said.

"To hear what Meghan says about Hubb Kitchen, it makes us feel like we are doing the right thing," said another volunteer, Oxana Sinitsyna.

Twitter users had mixed reactions to Markle's phone call to the Hubb community. Many royal fans were happy that she still supports the volunteers, while a number of users appeared wary that the duchess may have other reasons for calling them at this time.

One Twitter user claimed that Markle should have checked on her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., if she wants to be seen as kind and compassionate. Another speculated that she may have filmed the call as part of her and Prince Harry's Netflix documentary.

The couple had discussed making a "fly-on-the-wall" documentary about their lives with Netflix chiefs before they signed a multimillion-dollar deal with the streamer in September 2020, Page Six reported last month, citing unnamed sources. They reportedly taped their three-day trip to New York City for the yet-to-be-announced doc.

However, most royal fans praised Markle for keeping in touch with the Hubb community even after quitting royal duties, saying that she genuinely cares and that was natural for her. One called her "awesome," while another said the duchess has a "beautiful heart of gold."