Billionaire media heiress lashes out at 'hypocritical' Meghan Markle

A photo of billionaire media heiress Eleanor Harmsworth and Meghan Markle.
Billionaire media heiress Eleanor Harmsworth (right) has slammed Meghan Markle online. Photo: Getty Images, Facebook/ellie.harmsworth.

A billionaire media heiress has lashed out at Meghan Markle following criticism of the royal and her husband, Prince Harry’s recent private jet use.

Eleanor Harmsworth, the daughter of Daily Mail owner Viscount Jonathan Rothermere, offered the criticism on Instagram and labelled the duchess ‘hypocritical’ before demanding her supporters ‘grow up’ .

Calls for Meghan to ‘grown up’

The 22-year-old Oxford graduate made the comments in response to Jessica Mulroney’s post calling her royal best friend’s critics ‘racist bullies’.

In the original statement, Jessica defended the duchess against those who took issue with her approach to her role, saying she had ‘endured [three years of] undeserved hate and abuse’.

Eleanor, a budding journalist, clearly disagreed and made her opinion known in the comments section.

Billionaire media heiress lashes out at Meghan Markle. Photo: Instagram/jessicamulroney.
Billionaire media heiress lashes out at Meghan Markle. Photo: Instagram/jessicamulroney.

“By marrying Prince Harry she chose to put herself in a position where she would be scrutinised,” she began.

“She also made a huge song and dance about being an eco warrior and proceeded to travel around Europe on private jets (plural).”

“The British public dislike hypocrisy and the British press make money from exposing this hypocrisy. Grow UP" she concluded.

Who is Eleanor Harmsworth?

The Honourable Eleanor Patricia Margaret Harmsworth - who goes by the name Ellie - is one of five children of Jonathan Harmsworth, 51, and his wife Claudia DeVriese (née Clemence).

She has previously written for Vogue and Elite Daily and graduated from Oxford University earlier.

Her father, who is formally known as Jonathan Harold Esmond Vere Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, is a British viscount and media mogul.

Jonathan’s empire - which he inherited from his great-grandfather Harold Sidney Harmsworth - includes tabloid newspaper Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and Metro.

In 2017, the family’s net worth was estimated to be $1.79 billion, making his daughter Ellie a wealthy and influential heiress.

Celebs defend Harry and Meghan

Jessica isn’t the only one to come out in defence of the Duke and Duchess, with a raft of celebrities jumping to their aid in the wake of the backlash they received for allegedly taking four private jets in the space of 11 days.

Actor Jameela Jamil took to Twitter to label the “bullying” as “embarrassing and obvious” and called on detractors to “grow up”.

Ellen Degeneres also spoke out, calling the couple the most “compassionate” and “down-to-earth” people she’s met.

Sir Elton John, a close friend of the late Princess Diana’s, blasted the “distorted and malicious” comments about the new parents following their stay at his luxury villa in Nice.

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