Meghan Markle ‘treading a fine line’ says Palmer
Commentator Dan Wootton hit out at the Duchess of Sussex in the wake of her interview focused on the precedent-toppling decision by the US Supreme Court on reproductive rights. Meghan, he claimed, dreams of running for office and has officially ditched the political neutrality senior royals are required to maintain while discussing the “ripple effect” elections can have on society.
Quoting the Duchess’ interview, Mr Wootton wrote in an opinion piece for the MailOnline: “Meghan recalled ‘The [presidential] election was coming up soon and we both knew the value of women and everyone getting out to vote.
“‘The ripple effect of elections matters so much, and that’s what we’re seeing now, unfortunately.’
“As you can tell from that quote, the interview itself marks a significant upping of Meghan’s political rhetoric, throwing out any pretence of royal neutrality and coming closer to a formal endorsement of the Democrats.”
Meghan joined a conversation with fellow feminist Gloria Steinem and journalist Jessica Yellin on June 26, two days after the US Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade ruling which had granted since 1973 the right for people to have abortions across the 50 states.
Meghan Markle has abandoned ‘any pretence of royal neutrality’ according to a commentator (Image: GETTY)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry pictured in New York last September (Image: GETTY)
Their wide-ranging discussion was published as an interview by Vogue earlier this week, and included references to the Duchess and Ms Steinem’s first collaboration in the summer of 2020.
Ahead of the presidential elections in November that year, the pair joined forces - as noted in the quote reported by Mr Wootton - to shine a light on the importance to cast the ballot.
The Vogue interview also revealed the two prominent feminists have been formulating a plan to get the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex, ratified.
While discussing the possible ramifications of the abolition of the Roe v Wade ruling in the US, Meghan urged Americans to “channel fear into action” and get out to vote in the midterms, taking place in a few months.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are no longer senior royals (Image: GETTY)
Referring to the concurring opinion of one of the Supreme Court members in favour of the abolition of the 1973 ruling, Justice Clarence Thomas, she said: “This is a blueprint for reversing rights.
“The ruling is a signal about the future of same-sex marriage, contraception access, and many fundamental rights to privacy.
“It feels like the tip of the iceberg and is part of why people feel so scared.
“We have to channel that fear into action. We can start this November in the midterms.
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Gloria Steinem and Meghan Markle first collaborated in the summer of 2020 (Image: GETTY)
Meghan Markle’s latest interview was released earlier this week (Image: GETTY)
“I know hearing that feels so repetitive, but we have to vote, every time, from local elections to state and national elections.”
Senior members of the Firm are required to remain politically neutral not to sway public opinion with their views.
Meghan abided by this dogma while representing the Crown as a senior royal.
She ceased to be a full-time working member of the Royal Family at the end of March 2020.
Meghan Markle’s life in pictures (Image: EXPRESS)
While she hasn’t openly supported any political party or candidate, the Duchess was tipped to be leaning towards the Democrats after urging on multiple occasions Americans cast their ballot in the election which saw Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump.
In October 2020, Meghan and Prince Harry were accused by a Republican member of Congress, Jason Smith, of breaching the policy of political neutrality upheld by the Royal Family after filming a clip for broadcaster ABC.
In a letter shared on Twitter, the US politician urged Dame Karen Pierce, the UK ambassador in Washington DC, to request the British Government to ensure the couple would “no longer attempt to interfere” in the US election.
In the video, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex called on Americans to head to the polls, with Meghan describing the 2020 vote as the “election of our lifetime”.
Meghan Markle joined the Royal Family in 2018 (Image: GETTY)
Without mentioning any of the candidates or parties, Harry said: “As we approach this November, it’s vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation, and online negativity.”
Last year, Meghan also appeared to have abandoned the royal political neutrality rule after it emerged she had cold-called Republican senators using her royal title to advocate for paid family leave.
The Duchess discussed the accusations during the New York Times’ DealBook Summit last November, and acknowledged there is a “precedent” among the Royal Family of “not having any involvement in politics”.
However, Meghan said her campaigning on the issue of paid parental leave is “just a humanitarian issue” rather than a political one.
