A Chicago bar wants to make a royal difference – but there’s a twist.
In wake of a stunning announcement from Prince Harry and Meghan, who revealed plans to “step back” as senior members of the royal family last week, SX Sky Bar has started a fundraiser to help the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “brush up on basic life skills they may not have needed.”
The South Loop lounge said it plans to “step in to make sure they are prepared for their new life of financial independence.”
“We imagine there may be a bit of a culture shock once they leave Kensington Palace,” Food and Beverage Director Matthew McCahill said in a statement. “We would love to use the proceeds to enroll them in classes to give them a refresher on some basic things we all have to do, like how to file taxes, prep meals and wash dishes.”
The bar also plans to offer three specialty cocktails through the end of the month honoring the “royal shakeup.” The $14 drinks include The Megxit, Big Markle Energy and Spill the (Royal) Tea.
The money raised, however, won’t actually go to Prince Harry and Northwestern University alum Meghan.
“In reality — and in all seriousness — the lounge plans to donate all proceeds from the GoFundMe campaign to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund, to help victims of the devastating wildfires that have ravaged the country,” the bar wrote on its Facebook page.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made global waves last week when they announced their intention to “step back” as senior members of the royal family. A palace source told NBC News senior members of the family are expected to meet Monday to discuss the couple’s future role.
Meanwhile, the unprecedented fire crisis in southeast Australia has claimed at least 26 lives, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and scorched an area twice the size of the U.S. state of Maryland since September. The conservation group WWF-Australia estimates that 1.25 billion wild animals had died during the current fire crisis in addition to livestock losses, which the government expects will exceed 100,000 animals.