This week, frontline workers in Chicago enjoyed a homemade treat that came from an amazing source. As a way of marking Women’s History Month, the Duchess of Sussex personally cooked for the volunteers a lemon oil cake using lemons from her own garden!
The homemade treat was part of the most recent charitable initiative of the philanthropic foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell. The foundation has partnered with World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit organization created by the famous chef José Andrés, in several efforts in recent months to help “regions disproportionately affected by hunger”.
World Central Kitchen thanked women on the front lines in Chicago and shared a photo of their employees gathered around the treat.
“In honor of #WomensHistoryMonth, WCK worked with Archewell, the nonprofit organization created by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to provide meals and share a message of appreciation and support in Chicago,” World Central Kitchen, founded by Andrés for provide meals following disasters, shared on Instagram. “The dessert was a lemon oil cake made by the Duchess – with lemons from her garden!”
The post continued: “Since Covid’s response from WCK started in Chicago, we have served nearly 500,000 meals. Today, Dorri of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago – who distributed 60,000 meals with WCK – and Sarah, co-owner of Fat Shallot restaurant, have shared a lunch at safe distance with women picking up meals. “
The couple sent a sweet note with their homemade treat. “We hope you enjoy the offer we have prepared for you – a small token of thanks, from our home to yours,” wrote the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a note to the women. “Our hope with this effort is to show that, when we all participate, even the smallest actions can have a ripple effect,” continues the letter. “Even individual actions can impact us all.”
The duke and duchess believe that there is a lot of love involved in sharing a meal. “By breaking bread, by connecting securely today, you are signaling that you can hear, see and be present to each other,” continued the note. “Sometimes we forget how important it is to express gratitude and show appreciation. Perhaps now we realize more than ever that fundamental human moments, like enjoying a meal together, fill us with more than just food (even if that food is delicious!) Up to that point, we hope you enjoy the offer we’ve prepared for you – our little token of appreciation, from our home to yours. “
Former Meghan Markle is a very avid baker. This is not the first time that she has personally shared one of her own recipes for an event. When the couple traveled through Australia during a royal visit in 2018, she made homemade banana bread. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also have a history of lemon fans – their wedding cake was famous for a lemon cake with elderberry syrup.
Prince Harry and Meghan moved to Montecito, California, in 2020, after they ceased to be royalty. Recently, they sat down for an interview with Oprah that involved a visit to his home. During the visit, Oprah saw his chicken coop and even carried a box of fresh eggs to take home. Maybe she tasted the lemons too!
