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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry won't stop talking about politics after the election — and they shouldn't have to

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry won't stop talking about politics after the election — and they shouldn't have to

Mikhaila Friel

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been criticized for encouraging people to vote, even though the Queen has done this for years.
It's apparent when comparing the press' coverage of Her Majesty and the Sussexes that the couple have been treated unfairly.
Princess Esther of Burundi, who ran for president in 2005, believes this treatment stems from racism.
"If Harry was married to a blonde woman with blue eyes, he could say anything he wanted," she told Insider. "The problem is that Meghan has Black, African blood."
A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle told Insider that they will continue to speak about politics after the US election.

Royal aides said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "violated" the terms of their exit agreement by encouraging Americans to vote in September.

Speaking during the Time100 televised special, Markle told viewers that this is "the most important election of our lifetime."

"When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard. Your voice is a reminder that you matter. Because you do," she said.

Meanwhile, Harry urged Americans to "reject hate speech, misinformation, and online negativity" this election season.

The Queen's staff told The Times that the royal household should "put more distance" between itself and the couple because they discussed politics, which is said to be against royal protocol.

—ABC (@ABCNetwork) September 23, 2020

But, despite the criticism they've faced recently, Harry and Markle have no plans to stop talking about politics, including after the US election.

"Part of being an active member of society is to take part in the democratic process," a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Insider. "So encouraging people to get involved in politics is something that is important."

The spokesperson added: "Obviously it is at a very important part of the American election cycle at the moment, but that doesn't mean it's specific to this time."

While UK royals typically remain neutral in politics, the official royal protocol is ambiguous

Markle in particular has made the 2020 general election a priority during recent engagements. In August, she confirmed that she will be voting in the election, and in September the duchess cold-called US citizens with Gloria Steinem and encouraged them to vote.

Markle and Harry promised to uphold the Queen's values when they resigned, which includes remaining politically neutral.

"As Head of State The Queen has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters," a statement on the royal website reads.

The statement adds that the Queen does not vote in UK elections, but she does have "important ceremonial and formal roles in relation to the government." These include opening each new session of parliament.

As members of a constitutional monarchy, British royals cannot be seen as trying to influence parliamentary decisions. However, the extent to which royals are expected to remain politically neutral is ambiguous.

"We do expect royals to have a different role within the constitution," the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's spokesperson told Insider. "But the Queen herself, for example, encouraged people to use their right to vote when there was a referendum in Scotland and when there was an election in Wales," they added, referencing the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 and the Welsh Assembly election in 2003.

"While potentially controversial, it is not a brand-new thing," the spokesperson added.

The monarch also regularly hosts world leaders at Buckingham Palace. President Donald Trump has visited twice, in 2018 and 2019.

Her Majesty holds a weekly audience with the British prime minister and has been known to invite prime ministers for private visits to Balmoral Castle, her Scottish holiday home.

The press didn't seem to care when the Queen encouraged the public to vote and Harry and Markle arguably didn't break protocol by doing the same

Markle's comment about the 2020 general election being "the most important election of our lifetime" was interpreted as a dig at Trump.

"I'm not a fan of hers," Trump said when asked by a reporter what he thought of the couple "essentially encouraging people to vote for Joe Biden."

"Some people are making assumptions and connecting the dots between what she said historically and what she has said now," a spokesperson for the Sussexes said, referencing comments Markle made about Trump before she was royal, calling him "divisive" and "misogynistic" during a TV appearance in 2016.

The Sussexes' spokesperson said the couple's "recent comment is very much focused on encouraging people to vote."

There is no mention of restrictions on royals encouraging citizens to vote listed on the royal website, and the press did not interpret the Queen encouraging voting in a negative way.

In 2003, Her Majesty said "we must encourage all people to exercise their right to vote" while opening the second term of the Welsh Assembly. The headline in The Times read: "Queen tells Welsh to use vote."

When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex encouraged American citizens 17 years later, the same publication wrote: "Harry 'violated' palace deal with plea to American voters."

The Times interpreted Harry's words about rejecting hate speech and misinformation online as a "swipe at Donald Trump."

Meanwhile, the Mail Online wrote that Buckingham Palace "washes hands in row over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'telling Americans to vote out Trump.'"

In comparison, the Mail previously wrote of the Queen's response to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014: "'A result that all of us throughout the United Kingdom will respect': The Queen responds to Scottish referendum decision."

The Times and the Mail did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on this article.

It has become common for royals to cross lines when it comes to getting involved in politics, and many have taken things further than Harry and Markle.

Prince Charles, for example, was accused of trying to influence government decisions with a series of letters to former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and other government officials that were made public in 2004 and 2005.

More recently, Prince William accused politicians of failing to act on climate change, saying he doesn't understand "why those who have the levers" aren't doing anything, according to the Mail Online.

Royals around the world have been vocal about politics and some have even run for president

Princess Keisha of Nigeria believes that more royals should use their platform in the way Harry and Markle have.

Keisha, an American model and wife to Prince Adekunle from the Arigbabuowo ruling house in Nigeria, told Insider that it's "completely unfair and unrealistic" to expect the couple to "suddenly remain silent simply because it is an election season."

"Encouraging everyone to vote will always be the right thing to do," she added. "Voting is a right that was not granted to women and Black Americans less than 100 years ago."

Princess Esther of Burundi, who ran for president in 2005, understands more than anyone what it's like for a royal to get involved in politics.

Esther believes the criticism the duke and duchess have received stems from racism and says Markle wouldn't face the same backlash if she were white.

"Everyone has their own mind to think. Of course, it's a royal opinion, but they aren't the only ones to give their opinion about what is happening today," Esther said. "If Harry was married to a blonde woman with blue eyes, he could say anything he wanted. The problem is that Meghan has Black, African blood and this destabilized the whole institution. The real story is that."

Esther added: "I guess since Harry and Meghan moved from the UK [to California] it was to be free. It has to be very heavy for them. It's like when you are Black, you are a mistake."

It's common knowledge that Markle has dealt with racism from the British press. The criticism she received for speaking about politics wasn't the first time she faced double standards, as royal commentator Kristen Meinzer previously pointed out.

"Over and over again, the press tears Meghan apart for crossing her legs, saying it's a breach of protocol," Meinzer previously told Insider. "But do a quick Google image search of 'Queen crossing legs,' 'Camilla crossing legs,' 'Di crossing legs,' etc., and you'll find dozens if not hundreds of photos of royals at official events crossing their legs."

A similar example can be found in an October 2018 InStyle article which accused Markle of breaking "royal shoe protocol" for wearing wedges. Several months later, InStyle published another article praising the Duchess of Cambridge for wearing the same type of shoes, hailing them as "the most versatile shoes of the summer."

"In short, I don't think Meghan would be facing any of these double standards if she were white," Meinzer told Insider.

Harry and Markle could start political careers if they dropped their titles, but that likely won't happen

Piers Morgan and two British politicians called for the Queen to revoke Markle's title after she encouraged the public to vote.

Since Markle is a duchess through marriage to a duke, the only way she would lose her title would be if Harry's was revoked too. However, royal experts previously told Insider that it's highly unlikely this would happen since it's Harry's "birthright."

Nonetheless, the couple would have more freedom if they voluntarily stopped using their titles. They could even start careers in politics.

A friend of Markle's told Vanity Fair in September that the duchess would "seriously consider running for president" if she gave up her title.

Royal politicians are not unheard of. Archduchess Walburga, the daughter of the last Crown Prince of Austria, is a member of the Swedish Moderate Party and was previously a member of the Swedish Parliament for eight years.

Walburga told Insider she does not use the title in her daily life, and the fact that she has one is "not a big deal" to the Swedish citizens.

"Obviously it's a thing you think about occasionally, but you don't use your titles in Sweden," she said. "I didn't go around saying, 'I am the Archduchess.' I was being a politician like any other."

She added: "When you are born into a royal family, you must ask yourself: 'Must I live up to the expectations that are put upon someone who is royal?'"

It's a question Harry and Markle have likely been asking themselves. And while the option is available, it is unlikely that the couple will follow in the archduchess' footsteps.

A source close to the couple told Insider that they haven't endorsed a political candidate because they are aware of "a line" that could be crossed as members of the royal family.

"With their roles within the royal family, to be partisan political would be a step further than is expected or wanted," the source told Insider. "It would be a change in the way the family has always operated."

Buckingham Palace declined to comment when contacted by Insider for this article.