The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had an emotional reunion with their Grenfell “ladies”, who featured in a community cookbook championed by Meghan.
Meghan and Harry kissed, hugged and held hands with the four women invited to join the couple when they visited a Nottingham-based food poverty action group.
Emotional reunion in the kitchen
The women who cooked for the Grenfell families in the wake of the fatal tower block fire received regular private visits from the duchess, who later said that catching up with the community cooks was “really, really meaningful”.
The Sussexes arrived to cheers from about 50 well-wishers outside a former Methodist church, now home to the charity Himmah Hub.
Harry and Meghan looked relaxed and smiled when greeted by charity executives, and the duke later told the BBC: “It’s great to be back, wonderful, and great to be back in Nottingham too.”
Warm welcomes and private moments
In the organisation’s basement the Grenfell chefs were helping to prepare a lunch of chicken tagine and other dishes alongside the charity’s cooks in the kitchen.
Staff from the charity had set up demonstration cooking areas outside the kitchen and Meghan told them: “I want to meet all of you, it smells amazing, but I have to go see my ladies first.”
She went into the kitchen and individually hugged Dayo Gilmour, Intlak Alsaiegh, Faiza Hayani Bellili and Leila Hedjem, and then there was a large group embrace.
A reunion after five years
As they greeted each other one woman said “it’s been too long” and Meghan replied “at least five years”.
A few minutes later Harry went into the kitchen and was embraced by the women, as one said “we’ve missed you so much”.
