Prince Harry and Meghan Markle paid a visit to Uvalde, Texas on Saturday 9 March, to meet with the Garcia family who lost their matriarch Irma, a teacher at Robb Elementary School which was the scene of a mass shooting in 2022, and her husband, John, who died days later, with it believed to be because of a broken heart.
Irma's nephew, also named John, revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex paid him and his family a surprise visit, sharing photos of Meghan speaking with him on the driveway to his home, alongside a snap of him posing with the Duchess and another photo of the royal couple inside his home.
Speaking to HELLO! about the visit, John shared: "It truly meant the world that Harry and Meghan showed up to visit the family, there were lots of tears of joy and heartfelt moments. They were the kindest most humble people ever, it was like having family and friends over having an amazing time together they fit right in, we laughed a lot and shared intimate memories together."
He also revealed that the royal couple were frequently in touch with the Garcia family, adding: "They keep in touch every other month, sometimes a little longer, but with their busy lives, them visiting truly felt more special."
Harry and Meghan's also visit coincided with John's mother celebrating her birthday, and in a post, John confirmed that the pair got involved in the festivities and brought over a birthday cake. He enthused: "Meghan Markle singing my mom happy birthday was the cutest most adorable thing ever, she even bought her a cake."
John also revealed that Harry and Meghan had spent time with his cousins, as he called the royal couple "loving and supportive".
Irma was a teacher at the Robb Elementary School and during the shooting, she sacrificed her own life in order to allow students at the school to get to safety.
Meghan had previously paid a visit to Uvalde, in Texas, two days after the shooting where she laid a bouquet of white roses tied with a purple ribbon at the cross for 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia.
A spokesperson for the mom-of-two shared with HELLO! that the unannounced trip was taken at the time by Meghan privately in order to pay her condolences and support the local community.
After the private visit, the royal reportedly headed to the Herby Ham Activity Center to deliver two crates of food, beverages, and desserts for blood donors.
Speaking to BuzzFeed News, volunteer Gloria Contreras said: "I had no idea who she was. She just was carrying on a conversation like her and I knew each other for years. We were just talking about, you know, the situation and what happened…I told her about us giving out water to the people and feeding them."
She added: "I even talked about my personal life, telling her about my son and my family…we were talking about Texas and Uvalde and how it is to be in a small town and how everybody is so kind and warm-hearted."
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