Meghan Markle's 'sweet' private gesture to family of Texas school shooting victim revealed

Meghan Markle has made a compassionate gesture to the family of one of the Texas school shooting victims, reaching out over the phone to personally extend her condolences. 

• Meghan Markle has personally reached out to the family of Irma Garcia, one of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting last month. 
• The nephew of the 48-year-old elementary school teacher revealed on Twitter that the Duchess of Sussex called his mother to 'check' on the bereft family in the aftermath of the massacre. 
• In other royal news, Prince William and Kate Middleton's first official joint portrait revealed - all the hidden details you may have missed.
  

Meghan Markle personally called the sister of one of the Uvalde school shooting victims to share her sympathies, it has been revealed. 

John Martinez, whose aunt Irma Garcia was killed in the horrific massacre on 24 May, has said that the Duchess of Sussex phoned his mother to "check on the family" in the aftermath of their loss. Garcia, a 48-year-old teacher at Robbs Elementary, was one of the 21 people fatally shot by gunman Salvador Ramos on that fateful Tuesday morning. Her husband, Joe, died suddenly two days later of a heart attack. 

Martinez, 21, took to Twitter on 25 May to break the devastating news that his beloved aunt Irma, whom he called his 'tia', had died in the attack. On Sunday, 19 June, he revealed that the Duchess of Sussex had privately reached out to ask after their family following the tragedy. 

"The way my mom just got off the phone with Meghan Markle…the Duchess, she’s so sweet and lovely," he wrote, before adding, "She really went out of her way to check on the family, it means so much." 

The gesture has been widely praised on social media, prompting many to draw comparisons between Meghan and her late mother-in-law, the Princess of Wales. 

"Makes me tear up because the duchess’ compassion reminds me so much of Harry’s mother Princess Diana," one person wrote. 

While the duchess has not made any public statements about the Uvalde tragedy, she has been sure to offer her support to its victims in a number of other ways. Two days after the massacre occurred, Meghan Markle paid tribute to Texas school shooting victims with a trip to its memorial site. She also helped out at a blood donation clinic, unexpectedly turning up with two "large" boxes of sandwiches, drinks, and desserts to give to its volunteers. 

On June 22, it was revealed that Meghan had sent a personal note of gratitude to staff and volunteers at Moms Demand Action, a US organization that campaigns for public safety measures to protect people from gun violence. Its founder Shannon Watts added the duchess had also sent a banquet worth of 'delicious and appreciated' snacks, including donuts, bagels, cookies, as well as hot beverages like coffee.