TORONTO, May 06, 2020 – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have marked their son Archie’s first birthday today by releasing a short video that shows Meghan reading him one of his favorite books, Duck! Rabbit!, as part of #SAVEWITHSTORIES, aimed at helping children impacted by the coronavirus around the world.
The film, shot by Harry in California last weekend and posted on the #SAVEWITHSTORIES Instagram channel this morning, shows Archie perched on his mother’s lap and turning the pages of Duck! Rabbit! as she reads. The Duchess laughs as Archie’s attention momentarily wanders and he throws another book to the floor. The Duke is heard cheering at the end of the story. Archie responds by saying, ‘Da, da, da.’
The reading of Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld is part of #SAVEWITHSTORIES, which was launched on March 16 by actors Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams to support Save the Children and No Kid Hungry’s coronavirus response efforts across America. Committed to meeting the most urgent needs of children during the global pandemic, Save the Children and No Kid Hungry are providing books, learning materials and nutritious meals to children in America’s most impoverished communities, as 57 million students across the U.S. depend on school for learning and development and some 30 million children rely on meals served at school.
A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said they wanted to mark Archie’s birthday by highlighting the issues. The Duke has long been active in charity work for children and young people, notably in Africa. The Duchess has spoken passionately about gender equality, focusing global attention on the disadvantages faced by girls in health, education and prospects for work.
Their reading is the latest high-profile addition to #SAVEWITHSTORIES, where more than 230 children’s books have been shared to date, garnering 241,000 followers and more than 90 million views.
A spokesperson for the couple said: “The family is participating in the campaign across both the U.S. and UK to help bring much-needed support to children who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As they celebrate this family moment, the Duke and Duchess wanted to continue to raise awareness around the urgency of bringing food and learning resources to millions of children.”
“We are incredibly humbled by the Duke and Duchess sharing such a precious moment with us all to benefit others by reading for #SAVEWITHSTORIES,” said Betsy Zorio, Vice President of U.S. Programs & Advocacy at Save the Children. “As summer 2020 shapes up to be the longest and perhaps most detrimental summer of children’s lives, Save the Children is committed to ensure that bellies remain full and kids continue to learn despite the challenges coronavirus presents.”
Check out #SAVEWITHSTORIES on Instagram.
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