#Archieday: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle fans launch fundraising campaign to help vulnerable children impacted by coronavirus ahead of their son’s first birthday in May
- Fans celebrating Archie Mountbatten-Windsor’s birthday using tag #ArchieDay
- Lovers of Meghan Markle, 38, and Prince Harry, 35, started the campaign
- Urging donations to charities for vulnerable children impacted by coronavirus
- Causes included charities in South Africa, Canada and America – but not UK
- Sussex followers have flooded donation pages, with £3,000 raised so far
By Harriet Johnston For Mailonline
Published: | Updated:
Royal fans have launched a global campaign to raise money for ‘vulnerable children impacting by coronavirus’ to mark Archie Mountbatten-Windsor’s first birthday.
Fans of Meghan Markle, 38, and Prince Harry, 35, are marking the celebration on 6 May with the hashtag #ArchieDay on social media.
They urged others to share donations with charities in countries which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex hold dear to their hearts, including Canada, America and South Africa, with almost £3,000 donated since the campaign launched on Friday.
Posting about the campaign on Instagram, fan account @Archie_Day shared an image which read: ‘Motivated by the pure joy of Archie’s arrival and the very serious circumstances of our time, we introduce a campaign to honour his first birthday and to promote the principles we hold dear. Community, kindness and compassion.’
Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, fans have launched a campaign to celebrate their son’s first birthday on May 6, encouraging followers to donate to a series of charities to mark the day
The image, which was shared by multiple fan accounts on social media as they launched the coordinated campaign read: ‘Before COVID-19 became an ominous presence in our lives, a group of us got together ot organise a fundraising campaign to honour the principles emphasized by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their humanitarian efforts: community, kindness, and compassion for vulnerable people and ecologies.’
It went on to explain that the group hoped to build on the success of previous fundraising efforts, including last year’s #GlobalSussexBabyShower, which was launched by a Meghan fan account, called for users to celebrate Mother’s Day by donating to some of the Duchess’ favourite charities and patronages.
The message went on: ‘It is in that spirit, we kick off the #ArchieDay fundraiser in benefit of vulnerable children affected by the coronavirus epidemic.
‘We are all in this together. We will get through this together. We would love your support.’
Followers of the Sussexes are urging fans to donate to charities to help ‘vulnerable children’ impacted by coronavirus to mark Archie’s first birthday next month
Meanwhile accounts invited fans to help ‘celebrate Archie’s birthday with a global party’, before listing a series of charities selected for the ‘desire to help children.’
Among the three charities chosen by the group was the Nourish Eco Village in South Africa, where Prince Harry and Meghan performed their final royal tour in November.
The charity provides food to children from impoverished families in rural communities that rely on schools to get a meal daily.
Posting on Instagram, the group said they had chosen the South African organisation because ‘it is the country in which Archie had his first official royal engagement’ and mark ‘giving back to a country that welcomed him so warmly and brought us so many happy memories.’
It follows a campaign last year by the group ahead of baby Archie’s birth to raise money for some of the Duchess’ patronages and favourite charities
Meanwhile they also selected the Canadian charity Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, which they detailed as ‘taking an extra step to support young people who are experiencing unique stresses and feelings of anxiety’.
They said the charity had been chosen because ‘Canada has always been central to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s love story and relationship.’
Fans were also directed to the organisation Children’s Aid, which helps children living in poverty in America to honour the Duchess’ home country.
As royal fans rushed to support the efforts, donation pages for the campaign online detail totals of £3,000 raised in just days across the three organisations in total.
Fans selected charities across South Africa, America and Canada to mark the significance of each country in the couple’s life (pictured, Prince Harry and Meghan visiting Canada House in January)
Unlike previous campaigns, the group are not raising funds for any British charities or any of the couple’s royal patronages.
The campaign’s launch comes a week after Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back officially from royal duty.
The Duke and Duchess are currently isolating themselves at a secluded mansion in a private gated community with baby Archie after moving from Vancouver Island, Canada, earlier this month.
It is thought that the couple are continuing to look for their forever home in the affluent area of Malibu.
