Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are getting into the giving spirit this holiday season, donating 100 hats to charity in their son’s name and gifting the rest of us with a star-studded holiday podcast special.
The royal couple purchased 100 hats from Make Give Live—a New Zealand-based community of knitters that provide knitwear for children in need—in their 19-month-old Archie’s name. The charitable organization works on a buy-one-give-one model, meaning that Harry and Meghan’s purchase will provide 200 hats for families throughout the country. The group’s founder Claire Conza announced the Duke and Duchess’s thoughtful contribution on Instagram on Monday, writing, “They said that they wanted to help our members continue to enjoy making, connecting and supporting each other which has never been as important as now.” The pair are apparently longtime supporters of the group as on New Year’s Eve 2019 they shared a photo of Archie wearing the Make Give Live Cocobear Hat.
But that’s not the only gift the royals are giving out this year. As part of their new partnership with Spotify, Harry and Meghan released a special holiday podcast on Tuesday as part of their newly-formed, audio-first production company, Archewell Audio, starring a whole slew of their famous friends. The episode features “a special collection of inspiration, reflection, and perspective from guests around the world,” including Stacey Abrams, Christina Adane, José Andrés, Brené Brown, Rachel Cargle, Deepak Chopra, James Corden, Matt Haig, Sir Elton John, Hussain Manawer, Naomi Osaka, Tyler Perry, and George the Poet.
In the introduction to the episode, Harry says, “As we all know, it’s been a year and we really want to honor the compassion and kindness that has helped so many people get through it.” Meghan adds, “And at the same time, to honor those who have experienced uncertainty and unthinkable loss. Our thoughts have been with you, especially during this holiday season…We also want to thank healthcare workers, frontline service workers, and so many others for their sacrifices. Thank you.” Harry concludes, “As we come to the end of this year and look to the future, let’s hold on to the lessons that we’ve learned about how important it is to take care of one another and how meaningful our connections are even when they’re physically impossible…We hope this brings a little warmth, a smile, and something to think about.”
And it seems this holiday special is just the first of many podcasts we can expect from the royals. In a joint statement made in a press release announcing their partnership with the streaming platform, the Duke and Duchess wrote, “What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction. With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are.” The first complete series from their Archewell Audio and Spotify is expected next year.
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