Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited Harlem on Friday afternoon where they took time to visit a school in the area and dine at a neighborhood eatery that saw the prince try chicken & waffles for the very first time.
The pair sat down for bite to enjoy lunch at famed southern-food restaurant Melba's run by Harlem-local, Melba Wilson.
The couple are said to have donated $25,000 towards the restaurant's COVID-19 Employee Relief Fund.
The fund, which was set up by the restaurant is aiming to raise $250,000 in order to provide financial relief to the dozens of hourly workers impacted at Melba's during the pandemic.
'It was such an honor to officially welcome Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Melba's! I am so thankful for their commitment to donate $25k and hope to welcome them back soon. Thank you for dining with us! #sweetpotatopiehugs,' the restaurant tweeted.
Meghan and Harry visited Harlem restaurant Melba's where the couple spoke with owner Melba Wilson who told them of the restaurant's struggle during the coronavirus pandemic
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at Melba's Harlem restaurant for lunch after spending their morning at the school
The couple are said to have pledged $25,000 towards the restaurants COVID relief fund towards its workers
The couple pop in to the iconic Harlem joint for a bite to eat. The restaurant is known for its home-cooked soul food
After visiting the Harlem school, Meghan and Harry stopped by at Melba's soul food restaurant in Harlem (seen leaving)
The couple arrive at Melba's soul food restaurant in Harlem for a spot of lunch. The local eatery is known for its southern fried chicken
The couple dined on their own and were without any other members of their entourage as they Southern fried chicken and eggnog waffles, catfish with chipotle mayo, spring rolls with rice, black-eyed peas and collard greens.
'Harry said it was the first time he'd ever tried chicken and waffles and remarked it was delicious,' one fellow diner said however he was already familiar with collard greens with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, often making the dish for the family.
The restaurant's owner was pictured speaking with the pair at one point during their meal.
'They're shedding a light in our community of Harlem during a tough time,' Melba Wilson said to the New York Post, adding that the couple were 'so kind' and that she was grateful they stopped by.
Wilson spoke with the Duke and Duchess about non-profit City Harvest, the largest food rescue organization in New York, which takes food that would otherwise end up in the trash and redistributes it to other city food programs.
Restaurant owner Melba Wilson, left, is all smiles as she hugs the Duchess of Sussex during a visit to her Harlem restaurant
A fellow diner posted photos on social media showing the couple speaking to people in the background and lining up to enter the eatery in face masks.
'just had a delicious lunch with @anthonyha, meghan markle, and prince harry,' the diner tweeted. 'They wouldn't let us pay for their meal (true story, we tried).'
The restaurant ties in with one of the key focuses of their whistlestop tour of the Big Apple - promoting vaccine equity - as it partnered with the city to become a COVID-19 vaccine pop-up last month.
The city partnered with Melba's in August in an effort to try to boost uptake of the vaccine in the neighborhood.
Harlem's population is 54 percent black, according to Census data and vaccine take-up has been lower in the area than other parts of the city.
The couple were easily spotted by other diners in the restaurant who quickly posted pictured to social media
Melba's is famed for its southern cooking including fried chicken & waffles and collard greens
The Sussexes arrived at the restaurant straight from Harlem's PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school where 95 percent of the students fall on the economic need index and are eligible for free meals, according to Public School Review.
The index means they face economic hardship, based on temporary housing, eligibility for public assistance and Census poverty rates.
It all got too much for some of the children who were reduced to tears as they received hugs from the former working members of the royal family.
The couple visited the school alongside New York City Schools' Chancellor Meisha Porter late on Friday morning, after leaving their luxury hotel in Manhattan in their fleet of gas-guzzling SUVs for day two of their three-day New York City tour.
Meghan sported a $5,840 Loro Piana cashmere coat and matching $1,680 pants for her visit to the public school which serves shelters for families without permanent homes. Her shoes are thought to be $665 Manolo Blahnik red suede pointed toe pumps.
She accessorized her look with around $387,000 worth of jewelry including her $350,000 engagement ring, a $4,500 diamond ring from her first public engagement with Harry as his fiancee, Princess Diana's $23,000 Cartier Tank watch, a $6,900 Cartier Love bracelet, and a $3,000 Jennifer Meyer tennis bracelet.
Meghan Markle hugs children at the PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school in Harlem during Friday's visit where she read her book
It all got too much for some of the children who grew emotional as they received hugs from the former working members of the royal family
Harry hugs an emotional student during their visit which was touted as a way to promote early literacy for children l
The prince is seen embracing a group of children at the school which is supported in part by nonprofit Graham Windham
Meghan and Harry hug people at the school goodbye as they leave to embark on the remainder of their day's meetings
Meghan chats with a little girl in the outdoor tent area at the Harlem school which was set up for the reading event
Meghan wore a $7,500 designer pant suit and around $400,000 worth of jewelry to Harlem's PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school
Meghan sported a $5,840 cashmere coat and matching $1,680 pants for her visit to the public school where 94 percent of students are eligible for free meals, according to Public School Review
Meghan holds up some pink paper hearts which the children have illustrated and gave to her as a gift before they left
Meghan looks through the drawings gifted to her from the children at the school following her reading of her book
Meghan is seen reading her book The Bench to a group of second-grade students under a white tent in the playground
Harry is seen sitting among the second-grade students on the ground as they enjoy story time with his wife Meghan
Data from the NYC Department of Education shows 95% of students at the school fall onto the economic need index
The couple kicked off the first day of their tour Thursday rubbing shoulders with New York lawmakers and UN officials as well as paying their respects to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks at Ground Zero.
They also visited the offices of the World Health Organization (WHO) where they held a meeting with Chelsea Clinton, health officials and other experts to discuss vaccine equity - ahead of their appearance at Saturday's Global Citizen concert.
On Thursday night, Harry, 37, was spotted in Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel chatting animatedly with the people at his table - with no sign of Meghan, 40, in sight.
They are staying at the lavish hotel, where top-tier rooms cost up to $8,800 a night, during what is their first major public appearance since they shocked the world by stepping back as senior working members of the royal family last January.
Both Meghan and Harry opted for more casual looks for the visit to the school in Harlem Friday, compared to their business-like attire the day before.
The duchess opted for a head to toe red number, with loose-fitting pants, stiletto court shoes and coat. The pant suit is by Loro Piana with the coat costing $5,840 and the pants $1,680.
For a second day in a row, she appeared to dress for winter in the cashmere coat - after social media users were baffled by her choice of black turtle neck and heavy coats during Thursday's outing despite New York City's balmy 80F heat.
The prince, meanwhile, swapped his formal suits for beige chinos and a long-sleeve navy polo shirt for the school visit, which was touted as a way to promote early literacy.
The couple sported matching black face masks as they greeted children in the playground of the public school, who showed the couple a brightly colored mural they had made.
Meghan and Harry chatted to the children, hugging many of them and posing for photos by the colorful display.
One of the students was seen getting emotional during the visit and was reduced to tears as she was given a hug from the prince.
Meghan then took to the stage at an outdoor reading event to read her children's book The Bench to a group of second-grade students.
Harry sat cross-legged on a cushion on the ground with around two dozen seven-year-olds as they listened to the duchess read aloud from the book.
'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 children.
After reading the book, she then took questions from some of the students and asked them what special place they share with the important people in their lives.
'It doesn't have to be a bench. It can be anywhere where you feel comfortable,' she told them.
The Bench, released on June 8, explores the 'special bond between father and son' as 'seen through a mother's eyes'.
Meghan has previously said the book was inspired by a poem she wrote for Harry on his first Father's Day - one month after Archie was born.
Illustrations throughout are inspired by the Sussex family - including their daughter Lilibet Diana who was only born four days before its release and after the illustrations were drawn.
Meghan beams as she arrives at the local food joint in Harlem for a pit stop during day two of their tour of New York City
The couple are seen leaving the Harlem restaurant after stopping by for a bite to eat
Meghan and Harry pose for photos with the school children in Harlem, New York City, on the second day of their tour
Meghan poses with a group of students and staff at the public school in the heart of Harlem during the Friday morning visit
Students showed the couple a brightly colored mural in the playground, before they posed for photos in front of it
Meghan and Harry hug people at the school goodbye as they leave to embark on the remainder
