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One youngster could barely contain his excitement as the Duchess of Sussex greeted guests to the event which marked the launch of a charity cookbook aimed at raising money for survivors of the 2017 blaze.
Meghan helped prepare an impressive spread for the outdoor lunch which featured dishes from the book entitled Together: Our Community Cookbook.
The Duchess championed the publication after first suggesting the idea to a group of women who came together to cook at a Muslim cultural centre in North Kensington in the aftermath of the Grenfell fire which killed 72.
The cookbook is Meghan’s first solo project since marrying Prince Harry in May.
Addressing guests at the lunch in Perk’s Field, close to Kensington Palace, she said: “Working on this project for the past nine months has been a tremendous labour of love.”
Meghan was joined by Prince Harry and her mother Doria Ragland, who made a surprise appearance.
The pair looked on proudly as Meghan delivered her first public speech as a member of the Royal Family.
Proceeds from sales of Together will be used to pay for the expansion of a community kitchen used by women affected by the Grenfell fire.
The facility is currently open for just two days a week but extra funding will allow it to open full time.
Meghan has been making secret visits to the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre to cook with the women.
The finished book features 50 recipes from the diverse backgrounds of the women who make use of the kitchen.
Speaking at today’s lunch, the Duchess said: “I had just recently moved to London and I felt so immediately embraced by the women in the kitchen – your warmth, your kindness, and also to be able to be in this city and to see in this one small room how multi-cultural it was.”
Addressing the family chefs, she added: “On a personal level I feel so proud to live in a city that can have so much diversity – 12 countries represented in this one group of women.”
Meghan got stuck in and helped prepare the lunch menu which included coconut chicken curry, aubergine masala and a range of chapatis and sharing dips.
She dished out green rice, flipped chapatis and kept an eye on the kofta kebabs to make sure they browned evenly.
The former Suits star penned the foreword for Together which is in bookshops from Thursday but has been available to order online for a few days.
Zahira Ghaswala, the Hubb’s co-ordinator who hosted Meghan’s first visit to the kitchen, said: “As far as I know, on Amazon we’re number one – everything’s just been a positive vibe out there.
“Even before it’s got to the stores we’ve had people requesting it, we’ve had many phone calls ‘where can I get a copy of this book?’.”
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