Is Queen Elizabeth Upset With Meghan Markle for Speaking About Politics? Queen’s Former Butler Weighs In
Royals have many privileges that most people will never get to experience. However, because of their position, royals also experience restrictions on what they can do. For example, one well-known restriction royals often abide by is the rule against political involvement. Royals usually do not vote in elections or share their thoughts on politics.
Yet, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex recently spoke out about politics in the U.S., which has riled up a number of royal followers. But how does Queen Elizabeth feel about this situation? Is Her Majesty upset with Meghan?
Meghan Markle was outspoken about politics before becoming a royal
Before Meghan joined the royal family in 2018, she was an actor best known for her role as Rachel Zane on Suits. During her acting days, Meghan was quite outspoken about humanitarian and political issues around the world.
For example, ahead of the 2016 presidential election, Meghan appeared on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and shared her thoughts on Donald Trump.
“Yes, of course, Trump is divisive, think about female voters alone, right,” Meghan said, according to Insider. “I think it was in 2012 the Republican Party lost the female vote by 12 points — that is a huge number, and with as misogynistic as Trump is, and so vocal about it, that’s a huge chunk of it.”
Meghan Markle recently urged Americans to vote in November 2020
After Meghan became a royal, she did not share her political views as much. However, Meghan and Prince Harry stepped down from being senior royals in early 2020, and it seems Meghan is now getting involved in politics a bit more.
On Aug. 20, Meghan attended Michelle Obama’s “When All Women Vote” virtual event and urged people to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
“When I think about voting and why this is so exceptionally important for all of us, I would frame it as we vote to honor all those who came before us and to protect those who will come after us because that’s what community is all about and that’s specifically what this election’s all about,” Meghan said, as reported by Cosmopolitan.
She added, “As we look at things today, though it had taken decades longer for women of color to get the right to vote, even today, we are watching so many women in different communities who are marginalized still struggling to see that right come to fruition, and that is—it’s just simply not okay. And we look at the attempts of voter suppression and what that’s doing, it’s all the more reason we need each of you to be out there supporting each other, to understand that this fight is worth fighting and we all have to be out there mobilizing to have our voices heard.”
Towards the end of her speech, Meghan also noted that people who do not vote are “complicit” in perpetuating problems in society.
“If we aren’t part of the solution, we are part of the problem,” she said. “If you aren’t going out there and voting, then you’re complicit. If you’re complacent, you’re complicit.”
Is Queen Elizabeth upset with Meghan Markle being involved in American politics?
Although Meghan’s recent speech is more bipartisan than what she shared about Trump in 2016, it is still considered a political move by critics.
While we do not know for sure how Queen Elizabeth feels about this, Her Majesty’s former butler, Grant Harrold, reveals that the queen is probably “not concerned” about what Meghan did.
“I believe that the Queen would not be concerned either way, as they have stepped down from the Royal Family to pursue their own life and careers,” Harrold tells Express. “So she would most likely say this is a personal decision and it is up to her to do as she pleases.”
