Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Provide Meals To King Center Volunteers On MLK Day

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle honored Martin Luther King Jr. Day by showing their support for his daughter, Dr. Bernice King, and The King Center.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex provided meals from local Black-owned food trucks for volunteers and staff participating in The King Center’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community Service Projects in Atlanta, a spokesperson for the couple told People Monday.

Paige's Pastries & Bistro and Parlay Savory Saloon served free lunches to those organizing Monday's events, which included a voter registration and education drive, as well as a service project to gather donations for unsheltered and homeless individuals in Atlanta.

The annual King Center Commemorative Service was also held, with keynote speaker Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church. Reverend Curry gave the sermon at Prince Harry and Markle's wedding ceremony in 2018.

The organization shared some snaps of the food trucks on Twitter and gave Prince Harry and Markle a shout-out.

"Thank you, Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for providing local Black-owned food trucks for our #MLKDay service project volunteers. Your care matters so much to those here to register and educate voters and collect items for our homeless neighbors," The King Center tweeted.

Bernice also took to Twitter to thank the couple for honoring her father through their kind contribution.

"Thank you, Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for providing local Black-owned food trucks for @TheKingCenter’s King Day Community Service Project volunteers today. I’m so grateful for your graciousness in honoring my father. #MLKDay #BelovedCommunity," she wrote.

Prince Harry and Markle also received praise from social media users for their generosity and support to The King Center.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are always doing beautiful things for people. They are such caring people," one Twitter user wrote.

"Meghan and Harry doing what they do best - helping," another person commented.

"This is fantastic of #HarryAndMeghan. I love this. So thoughtful and impactful," a third user commented.

Some critics of the royal couple, however, questioned the move.

"Such a great PR move. Using Black people as props," one person wrote.

"Did they pay or just get people to volunteer for the job in exchange for free advertising?" another suggested.

Prince Harry and Markle have continued their independent charity work since stepping back as working royals and moving to California in 2020.

Last year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took part in a drive-thru charity event with Baby2Baby in Los Angeles, where they helped distribute school supplies, books, backpacks, clothing, food and other essentials for children in need to help them prepare for the upcoming school year.

Prince Harry also announced in August 2021 that he will donate $1.5 million of the proceeds from his upcoming memoir to the charity Sentebale, which he founded in 2006.

"This is one of several donations I plan to make to charitable organizations and I'm grateful to be able to give back in this way for the children and communities who gravely need it," he said in a statement at the time.