P.S. 123 Mahalia Jackson School students in Harlem, New York City received a visit from two special guests on Friday morning.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan paid a visit to the central Harlem elementary school for an outdoor reading event where Meghan read from her debut children's book, The Bench. The Sussexes were joined by New York City Public Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter for the visit, meant to highlight the school's initiatives and to promote early literacy in young students. Harry and Meghan's visit to Harlem comes after the start of their three-day trip to New York City which began with a visit with Mayor Bill de Blasio and his family and Governor Kathy Hochul at the One World Observatory.
Video clips circulating from the pair's school visit showed Meghan arriving in a maroon-hued oversized jacket and matching wide leg trousers by Loro Piana, while Prince Harry kept it casual in a gray sweater and khaki slacks. The duchess was photographed stepping out in the fall appropriate look ahead of entering the school's grounds.
Gotham//Getty Images
Gotham//Getty Images
The duke even adorable sat cross-legged on the ground with students while Meghan read aloud, attentively listening along with the schoolchildren.
"I wrote this when we just had our little boy, and I haven't read it to any other kids but you!" she told the second grade school children as she sat down to read from the book.
The Sussexes also viewed a brand new mural painted by 4th and 5th grade students which featured pink paper hearts and personal stories and dedications to the couple written on them, which Meghan carefully looked through.
BAZAAR can confirm the couple also left a donation of vegetable and herb planters for the school, in response to a need for easier access to fresh and healthy food in the community. The pair also partnered with Proctor & Gamble to stock P.S. 123's pantry with free-of-cost products to help families take care of their personal health and hygiene and maintain clean and healthy homes. Meghan also personally donated reading nooks to Graham Windham non-profit locations across New York City to support families' access to books and encourage at home reading.
Meghan and Harry's Harlem visit also comes ahead of their anticipated appearance at Saturday's Global Citizen Live event, where they'll be joined by a number of high profile celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Doja Cat, and more to fundraise for global vaccine equity.
Bianca Betancourt is the culture editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, where she covers all things film, TV, music, and more. When she's not writing, she loves impulsively baking a batch of cookies, re-listening to the same early-2000s pop playlist, and stalking Mariah Carey's Twitter feed.
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