The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have paid a surprise visit to the family of a teacher who was killed in a Texas mass school shooting.
Irma Garcia sacrificed her life as she tried to protect her pupils in a classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where she had taught for 23 years.
Mrs Garcia’s nephew, 22-year-old John Martinez, has a picture of his “tia” (aunt in Spanish) pinned at the top of his X feed, where he said she “died a hero” and “will truly be missed”.
The teacher’s husband, Joe, died of a heart attack on 27 May 2022, three days after the shooting.
Mr Martinez was in awe when the duke and duchess turned up at his family’s house in Uvalde, with Meghan bringing a birthday cake for his mother.
Mr Martinez and his family gathered around the duchess who lit candles and appeared to be shy to start singing Happy Birthday, encouraging others to join in, as Prince Harry stood behind her.
Capturing the touching moment, Mr Martinez said: “The cake was a surprise for my mum. Meghan and Harry are so so thoughtful and sweet for doing that… I love you Sussex squad.”
He acknowledged how much “it meant” to the family for the Sussexes’ “continued love and support”.
Speaking to Hello! magazine, Mr Martinez said the royal couple’s visit led to “lots of tears of joy and heartfelt moments”.
“They were the kindest most humble people ever, it was like having family and friends over… we laughed a lot and shared intimate memories together,” he said.
Harry and Meghan visited the Martinez family in Uvalde. Pic: Joey.mtz/@Joeymtz4
Read more:
As Uvalde failings are laid bare – what will the US do about its gun laws?
Meghan says she suffered ‘hateful’ and ‘cruel’ abuse while she was pregnant
Harry and Meghan are in contact with the Garcia family about “every other month”, but their visit to the family home “truly felt more special” given their busy lives, Mr Martinez added.
He previously shared footage on X about Meghan calling the family in the immediate aftermath of the shooting in which 18-year-old Salvador Ramos shot dead 19 pupils and two teachers, the other being Eva Mireles.
It’s ironic that the royal family is talking about bringing joy to others when they’re so often criticized for being out of touch with the common people.
I’m not sure I believe this story. It sounds like a publicity stunt to make the royal family look good.
I’m so glad to hear that Harry and Meghan were able to bring some joy to this family. They are such a wonderful couple, and it’s great to see them using their platform for good.
Why are we talking about the royal family? Who cares what they do? They’re just a bunch of overpaid celebrities.
Oh, wow, the royal family brought joy to a family of school shooting victims. How touching. I’m sure that will make up for all the pain and suffering they’ve caused.
I wonder if Harry and Meghan brought the family any tea and biscuits. That would have been a real treat.
I agree that the royal family does a lot of good work, but I don’t think they should be using their platform to promote their own personal interests.
I hope that Harry and Meghan’s visit will help to raise awareness about the issue of gun violence in America. It’s a terrible problem, and we need to do more to stop it.
It’s important to remember that the royal family is not just a bunch of celebrities. They have a long history of supporting charities and good causes.