Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, leave Windsor Castle in a convertible car after their wedding. Photo / AP
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, leave Windsor Castle in a convertible car after their wedding. Photo / AP
Profits from sales of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding broadcast are to be used to help feed British children during the coronavirus pandemic, as the couple say they are "delighted" it is going to a "great cause".
The Duke and Duchess asked that £90,000 (NZ$188,241) - a percentageof the money generated from the BBC's wedding broadcast - be directed to Feeding Britain.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, leave Windsor Castle in a convertible car after their wedding. Photo / AP
A spokesman for the couple said they had been moved to hear of the organisation's work during the coronavirus crisis, and had "particularly fond memories" of seeing the charity in action during a previous royal visit to Birkenhead, the Telegraph UK reports.
The money was raised under an agreement with the BBC, which covered most of the costs of the wedding broadcast in 2018 and was in turn given permission to make money from transmission rights and subsequent sales.
It was agreed at the time of the wedding that if there was any excess, a percentage of the profits would go to a charity nominated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
At the time, it is likely that the money was intended to be distributed by the Royal Foundation, following a similar arrangement under which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge used donations from their wedding for 26 charities.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are living in the US and setting up non-profit organisation Archewell, have now requested that the £90,000 is given to Feeding Britain to help the immediate need to support children through the Covid-19 crisis.
They are understood to have telephoned the Archbishop of Canterbury, who conducted their marriage ceremony and is president of Feeding Britain, to discuss the donation to the charity's projects.
They became aware of Feeding Britain after paying a royal visit to the Feeding Birkenhead community supermarket in Merseyside in January last year, when the Duchess was pregnant.
"The duke and duchess were able to speak to the archbishop recently, and were moved to hear all about the work Feeding Britain was doing to support people during Covid-19," a spokesman for the Sussexes said.
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"They have particularly fond memories of their visit to the citizens' supermarket in Birkenhead, especially the generosity and compassion of everyone working there to help others.
"They are delighted to be able to ensure this money is donated to such a great cause."
Andrew Forsey, national director of Feeding Britain, said: "We are incredibly grateful for such generous support which, thank God, will sustain our emergency response to coronavirus until the schools return.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, leave Windsor Castle after their wedding in Windsor, England. Photo / AP
During that time, there are many tens of thousands of children who we are helping to supply with breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.
"We're just so grateful that the duke and duchess have contributed to that programme."
The independent charity Feeding Britain works to eliminate hunger and its root causes from the UK.
It has said that "schools are the first line of defence against hunger for so many children - at both breakfast and lunchtime", warning: "We cannot allow coronavirus to breach that defence".
Sarah, the Duchess of York, has also pledged to do her bit for Britain in lockdown, launching a new series of storytelling on her Instagram page entitled "Fergie and Friends".
