Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have supported a New Zealand social enterprise which crafts knitwear for families in need for their son Archie’s birthday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are currently living in their $14million home in the Santa Barbara neighbourhood of Montecito with their son Archie, two, bought 200 hats from Make Give Live.
The organisation shared an image on Instagram revealing Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, reached out to the Auckland-based organisation – which works on a buy one, give one model – to buy the products in their son’s name for his birthday last week, allowing 400 hats to be distributed to families in need next winter.
It’s not the first time this year that the royal couple have supported Make Give Live, having purchased 100 hats from the organisation at Christmas.
Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan Markle, 39, have supported a New Zealand social enterprise which crafts knitwear for families in need for their son Archie’s birthday
The organisation posted a clip titled ‘Archie’s Birthday gift to kids in NZ’, revealing: ‘Thank you Harry & Meghan, Duke & Duchess of Sussex, and of course, Archie for the generous donation of these 200 beanies to your friends on the other side of the world in NZ.
‘Was very grateful for them and they will be sent in care packs to refuges around NZ to warm heads and hearts.
‘It also meant alot for our maker community to have something special to bring them together to enjoy connection and creativity whilst making them, and didn’t they do an incredible job?’
The Duke and Duchess have previously supported the cause, and last year shared a snap of baby Archie wearing a Cocobear hat from the label while being held by his father in Canada.
The organisation shared an image on Instagram revealing Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, reached out to the Auckland-based organisation to buy the products in their son’s name for his birthday last week, allowing 400 hats to be distributed to families in need next winter
The image, which Make Give Live founder Claire Conza says resulted in thousands of orders from around the world, was shared on the couple’s previous Instagram account Sussex Royal.
Speaking about Meghan and Prince Harry’s show of support in December, Ms Conza told the New Zealand Herald: ‘As Make Give Live operates on a buy one, give one model, this will allow the group to make an extra 200 hats to distribute to families in need next winter through the various charities it supports.’
Ms Conza also revealed that she received a letter from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex regarding the purchase, which she called a ‘wonderful gift for the organization’.
‘Demand for the hats have continued throughout the year and the sales have created an opportunity to support even more Kiwis through a tough 2020,’ she added, explaining that more than 3,500 hats have been donated to people in need.
The Duke and Duchess released a new picture of baby Archie to celebrate his birthday, which showed the toddler standing in their garden holding a bunch of balloons
The Make Give Live founder also recalled how she’d tried to thank the couple and asked on social media how they could get a card to them.
Last year, Make Give Live revealed they had been inundated with orders after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a photo of their son Archie wearing one of its knitted hats on New Year’s Day.
Make Give Love said they were ‘overwhelmed’ with demand, receiving ‘multiple orders a second’ after the duo shared the unseen photo on their Instagram account.
The candid snap showed a seven-month-old Archie in the $47 hat (£24.95), bundled against the cold in his father’s arms, standing beside a lake on what was thought to be their Canadian Christmas hideaway of Vancouver Island.
The couple first heard of the organisation during their royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in October 2018, after an aide approached Make Give Live for a hat to present to the then-pregnant Duchess (pictured)
The ‘Cocobear’ beanie was gifted to the Sussexes during their royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in October 2018, after an aide approached Make Give Live for a hat to present to the then-pregnant Duchess.
The Duke and Duchess released a new picture of baby Archie to celebrate his birthday last week, which showed the toddler standing in their garden holding a bunch of balloons.
Harry and Meghan appealed to well-wishers wanting to mark their son’s second birthday to donate money to pay for Covid vaccinations in disadvantaged countries.
They issued a joint statement thanking those who have offered ‘warmth and support’ for their family during the past two years in honour of Archie’s birthday, gestures which had left them ‘deeply touched’.
The couple said they were ‘incredibly grateful’ to those well-wishers who had given money to good causes, volunteered or raised donations on behalf of their son.