In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire of 2017, a group of women came together to set up Hubb Community Kitchen, a place which aimed to provide a sense of normality and home for those affected by the tragedy.
Inspired by their work, Meghan Markle got involved with the women and eventually suggested they create a cookbook, to help raise the crucial funds needed to keep their efforts going.
The book, called Together: Our Community, was published on September 20, 2018 and features 50 recipes by the women involved in the kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslin Cultural Heritage Centre.
Following the launch of the book, it was said that sales of 50,000 copies would raise £250,000 - enough to keep the Hubb open for another two years.
However it has now come to light that the book has well and truly surpassed that target, selling 130,000 copies as of March 2019, meaning the book has raised an incredible £557,638.
This information was released to the public in the annual financial report for The Royal Foundation, coincidentally on the same day as the second anniversary of the fire.
On top of this incredible sum of money, it was also revealed that the royal charity had invested £232,551 to help the Al Manaar mosque by refurbishing the kitchen and setting up training and development schemes, which have helped the women who worked on the cookbook gain 23 qualifications.
The report says: "In her first programme with The Royal Foundation, The Duchess of Sussex worked closely with the women she had met at the Hubb Community Kitchen.
"As she established her new home in London, Her Royal Highness saw the power and vibrancy of this community, and together they created the cookbook to raise money.
"The Duchess suggested creating a cookbook of the recipes, to support the Kitchen as a place to bring the community together over food. By March 2019, 130,000 copies of the Together Cookbook were sold worldwide. The resulting funds mean the kitchen has been completely refurbished and is now open seven days a week.
"The women have been working with the social enterprise charity UnLtd to develop their own plans and ideas."
