Prince Harry calls charity on Easter; he and Meghan pledge £90k to UK COVID-19 relief

Prince Harry used his Easter weekend to connect with families caring for seriously ill children at home, supported by one of his patronages, WellChild. During the video call which also marked his first engagement since stepping back as a senior royal on March 31, the 35-year-old spoke with Craig Hatch in Cumbria and Leanne Cooper in Lincoln about the challenges posed by social distancing.

The British prince along with the parents were also joined by WellChild CEO Colin Dyer and nurse Rachel Gregory, reports Hello.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are yet to announce the inauguration of their new charity Archewell, however, the couple has made their philanthropic debut as non-working royals by contributing to coronavirus relief work. They have donated the money generated from the BBC broadcast of their 2018 royal wedding to help feed hungry children amid the coronavirus pandemic, as schools across the UK remain closed depriving students of meals.

The couple has pledged over 90,000 pounds to Feeding Britain, a charity that provides hot meals and food packages to families in need across the United Kingdom. To make the donation, Harry and Meghan made a call to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the President of Feeding Britain, who had also presided over their May 2018 nuptials. It had been decided at the time of the Sussexes' wedding that any excess profits from the broadcast would go to a charity nominated by them.

Andrew Forsey, national director of Feeding Britain, has dubbed the couple's donation a "godsend" amid the COVID-19 crisis, and said it will help them to sustain their programs until schools reopen.

"The social and economic consequences of coronavirus have sent shockwaves across the Feeding Britain network. Families living in poverty, who were already struggling to access and afford food, have been put at even greater risk of hunger," Forsey told Town&Country magazine.

He further revealed that the money, which is expected to arrive this week, "will keep breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so three square meals, on the table of many tens of thousands of children across our network."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex said they are "delighted" to see the profits of their wedding go to "such a great cause." "The Duke and Duchess were able to speak to the Archbishop recently, and were moved to hear all about the work Feeding Britain was doing to support people during COVID-19," the spokesperson said.

The couple had earlier seen the work of Feeding Britain on ground level when they visited its first citizens' supermarket in Birkenhead, Number 7, in January last year when Meghan was pregnant with son Archie. "The magic that they left on the town that day has been carried forward through this very generous donation," Forsey said about the visit.