In the first few months after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry moved to California in March, they largely stayed under the radar. Though they quietly helped a charity deliver meals in April, it wasn’t until June that the couple got back in the swing of things. When they did, Meghan and Harry came back with a different tone, focusing more on issues like race, the harms of social media, and online misinformation. In other words, they got political, and they did it in a way that might have upset some members of the royal family, and definitely rankled the British press.

Now that Election Day has arrived, some of the work that Meghan has been focusing on is done. But according to a spokesperson for the couple who spoke to Insider, they have only just begun their political activism. “Obviously it is at a very important part of the American election cycle at the moment, but that doesn’t mean it’s specific to this time,” the couple’s spokesperson said. “Part of being an active member of society is to take part in the democratic process. So encouraging people to get involved in politics is something that is important.”

Harry especially made waves when he mentioned that he had never voted in a Time 100 special where Meghan discussed the importance of voting this fall. To Insider, the couple’s spokesperson emphasized that royals promoting voting is nothing new, and that even Queen Elizabeth had embraced a similar tone. “The Queen herself, for example, encouraged people to use their right to vote when there was a referendum in Scotland and when there was an election in Wales,” the spokesperson said, referring to the monarch’s comments after low turnout in a 2003 Welsh election and the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. “While potentially controversial, it is not a brand-new thing.”

Meghan and Harry have chosen to focus on issues that have political aspects but also go beyond partisan fights or legislative battles. “The focus is on projects and campaigns that mean something to them and are in line with their views, so that includes civil rights, women empowerment, and movements like BLM,” a source close to the couple told Vanity Fair in August.

Even though she did not endorse a candidate for this year’s presidential election, Meghan’s previous comments about the campaign make it clear that she might be nervous about the outcome as many of her American fans. “Every four years, we’re told the same thing, ‘This is the most important election of our lifetime.’ But this one is,” she said on the Time 100 special. “When we vote, our values are put into action, and our voices are heard.”

There is some speculation among Meghan’s friends that she might someday put aside her royal title and focus on American politics. But first she needs to make it through Tuesday night like the rest of us.

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Source: Vanity Fair

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