MEGHAN Markle has reportedly offered “support and comfort” to a black teenage girl who was the victim of a hate crime.
The Duchess of Sussex phoned 18-year-old Althea Bernstein, from Wisconsin, after she was allegedly “set on fire” by four white men in a racially-charged attack, E! News reports.
According to Madison Police Department’s incident report, Althea told officers that one of her attackers “used a spray bottle to deploy a liquid on her face and neck, and then threw a flaming lighter at her, causing the liquid to ignite.”
After hearing about the incident, Meghan asked to be put in contact with Althea through her spokesperson Michael Johnson- who is the CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County.
He told local news outlet Channel 3000: “Her and Meghan talked about the importance of self care and allowing herself to heal.”
Meghan – who is currently in lockdown in LA with Prince Harry and one-year-old Archie – is believed to have spent 40 minutes on the phone to Althea on Saturday afternoon.
What’s more, Michael also revealed that Prince Harry joined in on the phone call for the last 10 minutes to offer his support.
He added: “[Meghan] applauded her for the way that she responded and pretty much said, “Hey, Michael, give me her cellphone number. I want to stay in touch. And let me know when you want me to come back and talk to people in Wisconsin.’”
Althea’s spokesperson admitted that she’d been “struggling” in the wake of the attack but had been “very moved” to hear from Meghan and Harry.
“It’s a challenge for her, it’s very, very emotional,” he said. “I talked to her three or four times today, and I’ll tell you Meghan lifted her spirits.”
Earlier this month, Meghan shared a heartfelt message to the graduating class of her former high school where she weighed in on the Black Lives Matter movement and said George Floyd’s “life mattered”.
Speaking from her LA home, the former Suits actress said: “I wasn’t sure what I could say to you.
“I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that it would get picked apart. And I realised the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing.”
According to Harper’s Bazaar’s royal editor Omid Scobie – who has co-written the upcoming biography Finding Freedom – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have conducted video calls with community leaders about the Black Lives Matter movement.
He wrote: “Both Meghan and Harry have been quietly having meetings behind the scenes with people on all levels to make sure that they are educated and connected to the issues of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“This is something that is incredibly personal to Meghan, especially given everything she has experienced. And as a couple, it is, of course, very important. They are both feeling it, just like the rest of us.
“Harry and Meghan have been having private conversations with community leaders and people at every level, to ensure that they understand current events.”
In more Royal Family news, The Queen sassed chef Rick Stein after he cooked for her – but he praised her ‘great sense of humour’.
And Kate Middleton is following in Prince Philip’s footsteps & ‘doesn’t try to outshine William’ but ‘still a lot to say’.
Plus Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ‘will never get the privacy they crave’, a security expert has claimed.
