Now royal author and expert Phil Dampier warns that the Duchess of Sussex, 39, “won’t be silenced” when it comes to supporting causes close to her heart.
The former senior royal’s appearance at the virtual 19th Represents gender and politics summit seems to confirm that Meghan and Harry no longer feel they have to follow royal tradition and stay out of politics.
In fact, Phil believes Meghan’s ambition will see her eventually run for office.
“I believe she will increasingly get involved in politics and may one day try and run for the presidency,” he tells New Idea.
“Because she is no longer a British royal, she is free to get involved in any causes she pleases, and I think Harry will just go along with it.
“I expect to see Meghan front and centre of certain movements, and she clearly won’t be silenced.” During Meghan’s appearance at the summit, she discussed the Black Lives Matter protests and appeared to hint she would have been willing to join the protesters and risk arrest.
“If there’s any silver lining in that, I would say that in the weeks after the murder of George Floyd, in the peaceful protests that you were seeing, in the voices that were coming out, in the way that people were actually owning their role … it shifted from sadness to a feeling of absolute inspiration, because I can see that the tide is turning,” said Meghan.
She added that she wanted to be a part of the movement against racism, saying “it’s something I look forward to being a part of” before adding pointedly, “and being part of using my voice in a way that I haven’t been able to of late”.
It’s thought she’s inspired by the likes of legendary celebrity activist Jane Fonda, who was jailed late last year for protesting climate change and her good friend George Clooney who was also arrested back in 2012 for his efforts to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
Meanwhile, Phil adds that post-Covid, Meghan and Harry, 35, will no doubt become increasingly high profile as they make more personal appearances, speeches and interviews.
“I don’t think the Queen, Prince Charles and William will be happy about this, but there is little they can do, and increasingly Harry and Meghan seem determined to burn any bridges,” he notes.