Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been harshly labelled "disaster tourists" after being photographed consoling victims of the LA wildfires. The couple visited an evacuation centre in California, offering hugs and support to those who had lost their homes amidst the ongoing blaze, which has claimed 24 lives in the state.
However, actress Justine Bateman criticised their actions as a "repulsive photo op". On social media, she wrote: "Meghan Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers. What a repulsive "photo op" they achieved. They are "touring the damage"? Are they politicians now? They don't live here; they are tourists. Disaster Tourists."
Footage from Fox 11 Los Angeles showed the Sussexes in Pasadena, interacting with volunteers and the city's mayor, Victor Gordo.
According to the mayor, they were eager to provide support, boosting the morale of first responders with their "great personalities". He said: "They really buoyed the spirits of the first responders. We visited the command post at the Rose Bowl and people were very happy to see them."
Meghan and Harry were seen distributing food parcels to individuals impacted by the catastrophic fires at the Pasadena Convention Centre, now serving as an evacuation hub, reports the Mirror.
The pair shared a warm embrace with José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, which is providing free hot meals to the public and emergency workers in response to the wildfires. These moments were aired live on FOX LA, where news anchor Susan Hirasuna faced backlash for referring to Meghan as 'Princess Markle' and commenting that she was 'hanging out with the commoners'.
Following this, the couple welcomed friends and family affected by the fires into their $29million Montecito home, located about 90 miles from LA. In a conversation with FOX LA, Mayor Gordo remarked: "They (Harry and Meghan) want to be as helpful as they can be and really they just want to be supportive."
He also mentioned that the couple had visited some of the devastated areas in Pasadena and Altadena, engaging with those who have lost their homes.
A body language expert has given her insights to the Mirror on Meghan and Harry's recent appearance, suggesting they resemble an 'American version of the Royal Family'. She observed: "Meghan is doing some full body hugs here in a ritual of consoling and her facial expression mirrors the sadness the people she's meeting must be feeling. Coming on top of some more practical help from the couple there's a feeling they're appearing like the US version of our royals."
The cause of the devastating wildfires remains under investigation, but it's suspected that they may have been sparked by residual heat from an earlier fire, believed to have started from New Year's Eve fireworks, as per a report.
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The Washington Post notes that the remnants of the New Year's Eve fire might have been fanned back to life by strong winds, which are currently complicating firefighting efforts, even six days after the initial blaze was extinguished.
California weather forecasters are now issuing warnings about the return of fierce winds around Los Angeles, which previously exacerbated the fires. As the winds are expected to strengthen this week, firefighters are working tirelessly to contain three additional major fires.
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