This troubling revelation has raised questions about Meghan and Harry's actions and their influence on the school. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a visit to Public School 123 in New York City back in 2021, as part of their involvement in a Netflix series, which gained significant attention.
However, reports have emerged suggesting that Meghan and Harry's aides attempted to implement a clause that would prevent anyone associated with the school, whether staff or students, from making any negative remarks about the royal visit.
The alleged attempt to silence both teachers and students has raised concerns and cast a shadow over the couple's visit to the school. The primary objective of their visit was to donate two garden boxes filled with vegetables and herbs to the school, which was intended to be a charitable gesture. However, some parents of the school's students later claimed that the fruits and vegetables were mostly unusable due to being in poor condition. Meghan's side attributed this to shipping issues, but this explanation was met with skepticism since fresh produce is readily available in the vicinity.
During the visit, Meghan, aged 42, read from her children's book titled "The Bench," which she had published in June 2021. Prior to this event, school authorities were allegedly instructed not to share any negative comments on social media about the visit, both at the time and in the future.
Critics have pointed out the stark contrast between Meghan's opulent outfit, reportedly worth tens of thousands of dollars, and the impoverished situation of many of the children in the school, some of whom are orphans in need of family support. This led to accusations that Meghan's visit was more about promoting her book than genuinely helping underprivileged children and supporting the school.
Furthermore, some parents claimed that Meghan asked the children for a $5 donation, supposedly for a charitable cause. However, they later discovered that the funds were intended for the couple's charity foundation, which was not explicitly mentioned in the initial donation request. This has led to allegations of exploitation, with one parent, Natasha Jackson, stating, "This is clearly an act of exploitation."
At the time, the school had a student population of 409, meaning that Meghan's alleged request successfully raised more than $2,000 from the students.
Additional accusations have arisen, with Archwell representatives accused of sending emails to the Department of Education, including a release agreement that contained a gagging clause. They reportedly requested that this clause be approved by lawyers. The emails also revealed an attempt to downplay the promotion of Meghan's book in press releases about the visit. Additionally, it has come to light that the couple's team banned four British newspapers from an event at the World Trade Center.
These revelations have sparked concerns about the motivations and actions of Meghan and Harry during their visit to the school, raising questions about their approach to charity and public relations.
