It’s the king and queen of lockdown chic in LA
HAND in hand and dressed down in the ‘LA uniform’ of a baseball cap and bandana, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle show how quickly they have adapted to their new life in Hollywood.
The pair – who moved to Los Angeles with 11- month- old son Archie a month ago, shortly before the United States went into coronavirus lockdown – appeared relaxed as they returned from handing out food with the Project Angel Food charity.
While Meghan, 38, opted for a protective mask ,35- year-old Harry earned style points for using a blue bandana to shield his face on Friday. Under California law, it is currently mandatory to wear a mask in public, but a bodyguard who was with the couple did not.
Reportedly living in a rented home in the Hollywood Hills, the couple have been spending their days walking their dogs and handing out meals to AIDS sufferers and the chronically ill after Meghan said she wanted to show her husband her native city ‘through the eyes of philanthropy’.
Despite having left Britain, Harry said in an interview with the Declassified podcast that the number of volunteers helping the UK fight against coronavirus was ‘wonderfully British’.
The couple, who officially quit as senior Royals at the end of last month, kept a ‘ low profile’ last week as they spent three days delivering meals from the back of their black Porsche SUV.
Project Angel Food executive director Richard Ayoub said he had intended to keep their philanthropic work secret until it ‘somehow’ leaked out, adding: ‘Meghan said she wanted to show Harry Los Angeles though the eyes of philanthropy. It’s just beautiful. There’s obviously a great deal of love and selflessness between them. They both are individuals who want to know about others.’
Mr Ayoub said he was unaware how their charity efforts became public, although there have been suggestions that the couple’s slick Hollywood PR firm Sunshine Sachs may have leaked the news to portray them in a positive light.
One source said: ‘ It’s become apparent that Meghan and Harry’s decision to leave the Royal Family could not have been timed worse. They have continuously said that they want to lead a private life out of the public eye, so it’s curious that their charity work this week immediately leaked into the public domain.’
A witness said the pair blended seamlessly into their new surroundings, adding: ‘Everyone in LA wears baseball caps all the time – they are part of the unofficial uniform. And Harry’s bandana was a perfect way to self-protect while looking chic at the same time. The whole point about LA is to look effortlessly casual, no matter who you are.’
Mr Ayoub said the pair learned about the charity through Meghan’s yoga-teacher mother Doria, who is friends with Project Angel Food founder Marianne Williamson.
Ms Williamson, a spiritual guru, author of self-help books and selfdescribed ‘bitch for God’, is close friends with TV titan Oprah Winfrey, who in turn has become close chums with Doria, even inviting her to stay at her £100 million estate i n Montecito, California. Miss Winfrey has filmed a TV show with Prince Harry about mental illness for streaming giant Apple+.
On Thursday, Harry and Meghan were spotted walking their dogs, labrador Oz and rescue beagle Guy, on a popular hiking trail.