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Stars defend Meghan Markle after calls to strip royal title
Stars have come out in defence of Meghan Markle, after Piers Morgan called for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to have their titles taken off them.
The backlash from Piers, as well as other British royalists, came after Meghan commented on the 2020 US election, encouraging people to ensure they were registered to vote during an appearance at Michelle Obama’s online When All Women Vote event.
Meghan did not endorse a specific candidate but claimed those who did not vote would be “complicit”, warning “we all know what’s at stake this year”.
“We vote to honour those who came before us and to protect those that come after us. That's what community is all about and that's specifically what this election is all about,” the 39-year-old said.
“You’re just as mobilised and energised to see the change we all need and deserve. This fight is worth fighting and we all need to be out there mobilising to have our voices heard.
“If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem. If you are complacent, you are complicit.
“We can make a difference in this election and we will make a difference in this election.”
As a US citizen now living back in California after she and Harry quit their senior royal duties, Meghan has been vocal about her intentions to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
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But her outspokenness about hitting the ballot box has already angered royalists who say it’s inappropriate in light of her duchess status. Though not strictly against the law, it is considered “unconstitutional” for a British monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II) to vote, while members of the royal family have historically followed her lead and remained apolitical.
“They can’t remain as royals and spout off about foreign elections in such a brazenly partisan way,” Piers, one of the duchess’s most vocal critics, fumed on Twitter.
He later added: “She can do what she likes, she just can’t make politically partisan statements while remaining Duchess of Sussex.”
Stars defend Meghan after voting comments
Pier Morgan’s complaint prompted a four-letter response from American singer-songwriter Bette Midler, who tweeted “oh f*** off.”
Writer and TV creator David Simon of The Wire also came to Meghan’s defence, telling Piers, “It’s her country. It’s a moral stand. F***your royal a**kissery. F*** your rule book.”
Jameela Jamil also stood up for Meghan, replying to a tweet from Dan Wootton in which the executive editor of Britain’s Sun tabloid accused her of “actively campaigning against Donald Trump” and called the former Suits star “completely inappropriate.”
She said the royals would “be more embarrassed” by Prince Andrew’s entanglement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal than “an American supporting women voting in her own country, and loosely referencing the importance of general democracy which is being threatened here currently.”
In a follow-up tweet, the British actress called Meghan a “terrifying threat to patriarchy” who was subject to more criticism because of her race.
Additional reporting by Erin Donnelly.
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