Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry announced via Instagram that they have donated to bushfire relief in Australia — and urged people to do the same — on Saturday, January 4.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those across Australia who are continuing to face the devastating fires that have been raging for months,” Meghan, 38, and Harry, 35, wrote in a joint statement alongside photos of the aftermath of the catastrophic wildfires in Australia.
The statement continued, “From areas we are personally connected to such as the communities and people we visited in New South Wales in 2018, to the fires in California and parts of Africa, we are struck by the increasingly overlapping presence of these environmental disasters, including of course the destruction of the Amazon which continues.”
The royal couple signed off with a plea for other people to donate to the cause and a list of organizations accepting donations. “This global environmental crisis has now been described as Ecocide,” the pair wrote. “It’s easy to feel helpless, but there’s always a way to help.”
Duchess Kate and Prince William also showed their support in an Instagram post of their own via the Kensington Palace Instagram account on Saturday.
“We continue to be shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the wildfires that are destroying homes, livelihoods and wildlife across much of Australia,” the joint statement read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people and communities who are affected by this devastating event. We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives and the brave firemen who continue to risk their own lives to save the lives of others.”
The royals join other celebrities doing their part to help combat the fires, which have burned more than 12 million acres and killed at least 19 people. Pink donated $500,000 to Australian fire services, meanwhile, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, whose home is under threat from the bushfires, also donated $500,000.
Meghan and Harry’s Instagram announcement comes after they revealed that they will only follow one account per month on their Sussex Royal’s Instagram in 2020 to spotlight accounts that “inspire” them.
