Members of the British royal family have historically stayed clear of making political statements to maintain a sense of “royal neutrality.” However, this week it’s been alleged that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upset their family across the pond after making strong statements about the upcoming presidential election.
Tuesday, while speaking in a Time 100 video message in celebrating of National Voter Registration Day, Harry admitted he was not eligible to vote in America and noted that he had never voted in the U.K. due to guidelines that dictate royals avoid taking sides in politics.
Harry went on to ask voters to “reject hate speech” while he noted the undeniable significance of the current race.
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“Every four years we are told the same thing, that this is the most important election of our lifetime,” said Markle. “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.”
Despite their civic minded message, some viewers thought the video to be an “obvious” indication that the duo was backing Joe Biden over President Donald Trump, even though a source close to Harry reportedly denied this.
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In response to the heated debate in the U.K. about if Harry broke the rules with his statements, when asked for comment a Buckingham Palace spokesman responded: “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.”
But DailyMailOnline editor-at-large Piers Morgan – a staunch conservative and longtime colleague of Trump – took issue with Harry and Markle’s stance, opining, “Prince Harry poking his woke nose into the US election and effectively telling Americans to vote against President Trump is completely unacceptable behavior for a member of the Royal Family.”
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