Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Visit to Harlem: Melba Wilson Spills the Sweet Tea on 'Down-to-Earth' Royals

Lanford Beard
·3 min read
prince harry, meghan markle
prince harry, meghan markle

matt sayles

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had an impactful lunch date on their calendar last Friday, and now restaurateur Melba Wilson is giving PEOPLE a taste of her sweet visit with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

When the couple visited Melba's Harlem on Friday after Meghan read her book The Bench to students at PS 123 that morning, "They were extremely gracious, very, very kind and really genuine," owner Melba Wilson shares.

The stopover was naturally kept top-secret (Wilson couldn't even tell her staff until an hour beforehand), but despite the pomp and circumstance most royals would require, Wilson said Harry and Meghan immediately eased her nerves.

"The hug that they both greeted me with was so warm," she says. "They have a way of making you feel comfortable, and that was everything to me. It was almost like I was talking to two familiar people that I've known for quite some time."

Once inside, they sampled "a lot of my favorite things on the menu," says Wilson, who opened the soul food eatery in 2005. The pair had their pick of Southern staples, including catfish and collard greens, as well as contemporary twists on old classics like eggnog waffles and spring rolls with black eyed peas.

But lunch wasn't necessarily the main priority for Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37. The couple specifically requested that Wilson not close the restaurant for a private visit because "they wanted to be with the people, and that to me was so endearing," says Wilson.

"They took time to engage with other customers who were shocked that they were there ... [they talked] with our service staff, with our chef," she adds.

"What surprised me was how down-to-earth, how comforting, how caring they really are. And it's not what I expected from a royal," she says. "They really are amongst the nicest people I've ever met."

Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle

Gotham/GC Images Meghan Markle

RELATED: The Best Photos from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Visit to New York

Beyond the face time, Harry and Meghan also made sure to pay it forward, leaving a $25,000 donation to Melba's COVID-19 Employee Relief Fund via their Archewell Foundation.

Wilson says the money will make a difference amid "a very challenging time, especially for the food and beverage industry. It's about really providing our employees and other restaurant workers, as well as people that are going through food insecurity during this time of COVID-19 ... with opportunity, making sure that our employees can pay their rent, can pay their bills and also that they have substantial meals."

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

This work is deeply personal to Wilson, who tells PEOPLE, "I started out with very, very humble beginnings, and my life is totally about service, whether it's City Harvest or for my Harlem community, my life is fulfilled by giving."

She continues, "For [the Duke and Duchess] to have heard about us via word of mouth and chose to come there to support a Black, female-owned business is definitely big. But it also shows that people that come from humble beginnings and in urban communities, or any small community, that people see us, they hear what we do, and we're recognized in that way. So it was so much bigger than Melba's, it's about Harlem. It's also about people who have dreams and have vision."

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • UPDATE 1-Honda to invest $808 million in Brazil by 2030

    Japanese automaker Honda will invest 4.2 billion reais ($807.74 million) in its Itirapina plant in Brazil by 2030, an executive said on Friday, adding the company aims to develop a hybrid-flex vehicle in the South American country. Honda's announcement is the latest in a series of fresh investments by automakers such as Volkswagen, General Motors, Stellantis and Toyota in Brazil. According to Brazil's government, investments pledged by automakers in the country for the coming years already total nearly 130 billion reais.

  • PWHL Montreal ready to set attendance record against Toronto at the Bell Centre

    MONTREAL — Danièle Sauvageau says there’s so much interest in the Professional Women’s Hockey League game at the Bell Centre that she’s searching for ways to outsmart the arena’s security. “People are after us like 'I need tickets,'” PWHL Montreal’s general manager said Friday. “I had an event this morning — 'How can we get tickets tomorrow?' I said 'well, maybe we could sneak you through the parking lot and get in through the back door.'” Montreal hosts Toronto on Saturday afternoon at the home

  • Jack Grealish interview: I lost confidence at start of season – but have no issue with Pep Guardiola

    He is an open book, Jack Grealish. Sponsors love him because he brings such authenticity to those commercial shoots and, for the community and charitable arms at Aston Villa, Manchester City and England, there is a genuine warmth and sincerity to his interactions with fans and the public alike. What you see with Grealish is what you get. Charming, lovable, charismatic – above all real.

  • NBA player teams up with local artist to create basketball court murals

    WRTV's Jessica Gruenling explains why the murals are coming to Brooks School Park in Fishers.

  • Sask. man who didn't want his daughter to get COVID-19 shots found guilty of abduction

    The trial of a Carievale, Sask., man charged with abducting his daughter ended Friday with a jury finding him guilty.Court heard Michael Gordon Jackson failed to return his seven-year-old daughter to the care of her mother, who had primary custody, after a long-weekend visit in November 2021. Jackson, who represented himself at the trial in Regina Court of King's Bench, had told the jury his only intention was to prevent his daughter from getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Jackson said he believed th

  • Inuvik elder Gerry Kisoun to be the N.W.T.'s next commissioner

    Gerry Kisoun will be the next commissioner of the Northwest Territories, according to an announcement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office on Friday afternoon. The Inuvialuit-Gwich'in elder worked for the RCMP for 25 years, serving in Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik, as well as in Alberta and the Yukon according to his biography. After retiring from the RCMP, Kisoun worked for Parks Canada for 17 years in its Western Arctic Field Unit. He was also previously the deputy commissioner of the N.W.T. f

  • Mowachaht/Muchalaht soon to open Baymont by Wyndam hotel with tourism information services

    By Alexandra Mehl Gold River, BC - This spring Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) will be opening the doors of their new hotel, Baymont by Wyndam, previously known as the Gold River Chalet, alongside new tourism information services aiming to bring more visitors to the region. Gold River Chalet closed its doors in April of 2023, according to the hotel manager Rohinton (Roy) Kharadi. Over the last year the building underwent “complete renovations,” he noted. “Total wow,” said Kharadi, when a

  • Family-owned ranch in Pasco County gives horses, donkeys second chance at life

    It’s a family affair, and the animals become family as well. They work to rescue, rehab, retrain, and rehome these animals. “We are here to give the horse a next job in its life and to find their person,” said Tammy Stricker, Coordinator at Stricker Sunshine Rescue Ranch. Tammy and Al Stricker built Stricker Sunshine Rescue Ranch out of passion and love for these animals.

  • Brixton Academy opens doors again more than a year after fatal crush

    The venue had heavy security for the reopening.

  • Sault recreational lock closed until August

    A major tourist waterway will be off limits until the late summer to allow construction crews to complete some work on a nearby historic building. Since low water levels are required to continue restorative work on the Powerhouse building's foundation, the canal's recreational lock must be closed until around August, Parks Canada officials say. The recreational lock, opened in 1998, allows recreational boaters and tourist vessels to pass between Lake Superior and Lake Huron by changing the water

  • 1 dead, 5 injured after car crashes into Milwaukee County bus

    Police said the driver of the car ran a red light at almost 100 mph and hit the MCTS bus.

  • Dow Jones Futures: S&P 500 Has Worst Week In Year As Nvidia, Super Micro, AI Leaders Plunge

    The Nasdaq had its worst week since 2022 as AI stocks Nvidia and Super Micro flashed sell signals. Tesla, Microsoft, Meta lead earnings on tap.

  • Bitcoin halving: How will crypto miners be affected?

    Investors are anticipating the bitcoin (BTC-USD) halving event in the near future, as soon as this weekend. The price of bitcoin has retreated from its recent highs and is currently trading above $64,000 as of Friday. During this event, the reward for mining new bitcoin blocks is cut in half, slowing down the rate at which new bitcoins are introduced into circulation. Yahoo Finance's Julie Hyman and Madison Mills break down the details, providing insights into the implications for bitcoin miners' profit margins. Want to learn more about the bitcoin halving? Watch this video from Yahoo Finance for a quick explainer: Bitcoin halving: Explained For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination Overtime. This post was written by Angel Smith

  • Woman missing for weeks may be in Arizona state park, family says. ‘We are devastated’

    “We need all the help we can get to help find her and find answers.”

  • Met apologises for ‘openly Jewish’ comment – then is forced to apologise again for ‘victim blaming’ statement

    Double apology from force after officer uses term ‘openly Jewish’ to antisemitism campaigner

  • Tampa's food scene spotlighted with Michelin Star additions

    It’s a huge deal in the restaurant industry: being recognized by the Michelin Guide. A few more restaurants in Tampa landed on that list. Inside Streetlight Taco in Tampa on any given afternoon, you'll find people sitting elbow to elbow waiting to take a bite of something tasty. “I've always been passionate about Mexican food and the people and the culture, and I had a great opportunity to kind of live my dream,” said Michael Brannock, the chef and partner at Streetlight Taco.

  • Man sets himself on fire outside Trump trial court

    A man set himself on fire outside the New York court where Donald Trump’s hush money trial was being held on Friday.

  • Gov. Moore "incredibly encouraged" on efforts to secure federal funding for bridge rebuild

    An aerial view of the wreckage draped across the bow of the Dali provides a clearer picture of the work crews still have cut out for them. "This is the road. That is literally the road from the Key Bridge that's sitting on top of the ship," Governor Moore said as he showed reporters the image during a Friday press conference.

  • Stars waited late to find out they get playoff rematch against the defending Stanley Cup champions

    FRSICO, Texas (AP) — Tyler Seguin got sidetracked on his way to bed when he checked the scores from the two games on the West Coast that would determine who the Dallas Stars would face in the first round of the NHL playoffs. “I went in the living room just to see what was going on,” Seguin said in the Stars locker room Friday. Matt Duchene was watching as well from his home late Thursday night, and kept waking up his wife to tell her who the Stars would be playing. That changed a couple of times

  • Jameson Taillon comes off the injured list and helps the Cubs beat the Marlins 8-3

    CHICAGO (AP) — Jameson Taillon had a solid first start, Nico Hoerner doubled twice and the Cubs rolled past the Miami Marlins 8-3 on Friday. Taillon (1-0), reinstated from the injured list a day earlier, retired the first 10 Miami batters before Bryan De La Cruz smacked his fourth homer of the season. By then, the Cubs had a six-run cushion. They’ve won two straight and five of six. The Cubs tagged A.J. Puk (0-4) for a pair of runs in the first inning and ended his day with a four-run third capp