Meghan refuses to give in to criticism as she ploughs ahead with cause

Meghan, 40, visited the town in Texas in May after a man armed with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle killed 19 school children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. The Duchess placed a

bouquet of white roses tied with purple ribbon at a makeshift memorial outside Uvalde County Courthouse. Her spokesperson said at the time Meghan took the trip in a personal capacity as a

mother to offer her condolences and personal support to a community experiencing unimaginable grief. Since the visit, Meghan has kept up contact, calling a sister of Irma Garcia, who was one

of the teachers killed. Ms Garcia's nephew took to Twitter to share that the Duchess had telephoned his mother to see how she was. John Martinez tweeted: "The way my mom just got

off the phone with Meghan Markle... the Duchess, she's so sweet and lovely, she really went out of her way to check on the family, it means so much." Meghan also sent a letter to

volunteers at Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement campaigning about gun violence. Founder Shannon Watts shared a copy of the letter on Twitter, commenting: "[Moms Demand]

volunteers and staff have been working around the clock for weeks, so it was moving to receive such a supportive note - and snacks! - from the Duchess of Sussex." The note read:

"To each of you and your fearless leader, Shannon, a huge thank you for the work you are doing to keep our kids, families and communities safe. "Please know that while you may feel

exhausted by your endless hours of dedication to this cause, I hope you feel energized knowing that the work you're doing is vital and so deeply appreciated. READ MORE ABOUT PRINCE

HARRY NOT LEARNING FROM EDWARD AND WALLIS'S EXILE Washington-based foreign policy expert and Royal Family enthusiast Nile Gardiner told Express.co.uk: "The popularity of Meghan and

Harry in the US has declined significantly over the course of the year, and that will continue to decline. "The image of Meghan is plummeting in the US as it is in the UK. "The

Queen is hugely admired in the US as is Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge. "Meghan's image is significantly falling in the US." Mr Gardiner added: "Many

Americans are bewildered as to why she is still the Duchess of Sussex when she speaks out so much against the monarchy. There is no good reason she still holds a royal title." However,

fans heaped praise on the Duchess in response to Mr Martinez's revelation. Twitter user tracer468 commented in reply to his tweet: "What a beautiful, thoughtful caring thing to do.

To bring comfort & share healing thoughts to those who are hurting is typical of our Duchess." Fellow Twitter user RC29203298 chimed in: "Makes me tear up because the duchess’

compassion reminds me so much of Harry’s mother Princess Diana." LuckyRevin tweeted: "Yes, Meghan is the princess of kindness. Always kind hearted and generous." And

Shar16Fran added: "What a wonderful person Meghan is, and continues to be. I'm glad she continues to reach out to your family during this difficult time."