Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Pay Surprise Visit to Uvalde Shooting Victim’s Family – and Join in Singalong
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the family of Robb Elementary School shooting victim, Irma Garcia, on Saturday
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry spent time with the family of one of the victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, over the weekend.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sang “Happy Birthday” to the sister of schoolteacher Irma Garcia, who was killed in the 2022 massacre, as seen in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Garcia was one of 21 people who were killed when an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at the school on May 24, 2022. The wife and mother of four had worked for 23 years as a teacher until her death.
In the clip, which was shared by Garcia’s nephew, John Martinez, Meghan, 42, held a birthday cake while surrounded by the family, as Harry, 39, stood behind her.
The pair were then joined by the family in singing “Happy Birthday” to Garcia’s sister, who stood in front of Meghan.
Martinez told CNN that Meghan had presented the birthday cake as a surprise to Garcia’s sister.
In a photo posted by Martinez on X from the visit, the Duchess of Sussex could be seen posing with Garcia’s two daughters.
Other photos posted by Martinez showed him and Meghan chatting outdoors. He also posed for a photo with Harry and Meghan as she held a bouquet of flowers indoors.
Martinez wrote in his caption alongside the photos, “MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY CAME TO MY HOUSE!?!?!?! They’re such a beautiful couple and i’m so blessed, so glad they came to check up on the family.”
Martinez told CNN of the royal visit, “It was such a beautiful experience, they’re so nice and compassionate, very down to earth, humble people.”
“It was kind of by surprise, [Meghan] had called my mom one random day and dropped the news on us not too long ago that she was coming to visit the kids and of course we got so excited,” he added to the outlet.
Back in May 2022, Meghan made a surprise visit to Uvalde days after the shooting at Robb Elementary School, where she honored the victims.
“Meghan took the trip in a personal capacity as a mother, to offer her condolences and support in person to a community experiencing unimaginable grief,” a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said at the time.
Meghan and Harry’s visit to see Garcia’s family came after their trip to Austin, Texas, for the SXSW Conference, where Meghan was a panelist for International Women’s Day.
On Friday, the Duchess of Sussex spoke on the panel in a discussion called “Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen,” as Prince Harry watched in the crowd.
