BUCKINGHAM Palace has refused to back Prince Harry and Meghan’s political speech, claiming they were ‘personal’ comments.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been slammed for ‘interfering in US politics’ and speaking out about the upcoming presidential election.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex told voters to “reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity” while Meghan called the presidential race the “most important election of our lifetime.”
The Palace told HOAR: “We would not comment. The Duke is not a working member of the Royal Family and any comments he makes are made in a personal capacity.”
Many have seen this as a thinly veiled attempt by the royals to get their fans to vote Donald Trump out of office.
Prince Harry admitted that he was not eligible to vote in the US election in November and that he never voted in the UK because royals are meant to be politically neutral.
The pair have been slammed by viewers, who said that politics and the election is none of their business.
One user responded to Harry’s comment saying: “None of his business he is purely a guest in the country.”
Another tweeted: “Completely inappropriate, especially from Harry.”
A third said: “This sounds like foreign interference in the US election.
“I think we need a special counsel to investigate.”
Piers Morgan also shared his opinion, saying: “Prince Harry poking his woke nose into the US election & effectively telling Americans to vote against President Trump is completely unacceptable behaviour for a member of the Royal Family.”
Another commentator said it was “obvious” that the royals were supporting Joe Biden because of Meghan’s previous criticisms of Donald Trump.
One twitter user added: “Tell Harry to mind his own barking business. Stop thinking politics in America.”
‘COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE’
In the video clip broadcast as part of the Time 100, the magazine’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people, Meghan said: “Every four years we are told the same thing, that this is the most important election of our lifetime. But this one is.
“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 and you deserve to be heard.”
For his part, Harry said: “As we approach this November, it’s vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity.
“When the bad outweighs the good, for many, whether we realise it or not, it erodes our ability to have compassion and our ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes.
“Because when one person buys into negativity online, the effects are felt exponentially. It’s time to not only reflect, but act.”
Despite claims that this was an attempt to get their fans to vote Donald Trump out of office, a source close to Harry insisted the Duke was not referring to Mr Trump nor any other individual.
They added: “The Duke was talking about the tone of debate in the run-up to an election which is already quite febrile.
“He is not talking about any candidate or specific campaign.
“He is building on a lot of stuff that he’s said before about online communities, how we engage with each other online, rather than specifically making any political points.”
Although law does not explicitly forbid members of the royal family from voting, the expectation is that royals remain apolitical and never participate in elections.
However, it seems like Harry and Meghan have been forging their own path with their new move to the US.
The Duchess met with feminist powerhouse Gloria Steinem last month for a “backyard chat” where she expressed her excitement at seeing a woman of colour on the Democratic ticket – Kamala Harris.
Before marrying Prince Harry in 2018, she also ridiculed then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a 2016 appearance on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.
She said Trump was “misogynistic and divisive” and indicated her support for Hillary Clinton.
