Prince Harry, Meghan Markle take a different tack this time to the U.S. election

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, watch the wheelchair basketball final between the U.S.and France in Duesseldorf, Germany on Sept. 13, 2023 (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)

With a divided electorate about to head to the polls after a dramatic and acrimonious presidential campaign, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have taken a more neutral approach in the 2024 U.S. general election, compared to 2020.

During that election, which was a choice between Joe Biden and incumbent Donald Trump, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle called on American voters to “shun hate speech, false information and online nastiness,” in a video that sparked claims of breaching U.K. rules requiring political neutrality from Royal Family members.

In the Time 100 video message, Meghan dubbed the presidential race the “most crucial election of our time,” as the pair urged Americans to exercise their voting rights.

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Harry stated, "In this election I cannot vote in the U.S. But many might not realize I've never been able to vote in the U.K. As November nears, it's crucial we reject hate speech, false information and online nastiness.”

The couple didn't back a specific candidate. Yet, some read their remarks as supporting Biden over Trump. Meghan, prior to joining the Royal Family, was a vocal Trump critic, once labelling him "sexist" and "divisive."

In a 2016 interview on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, Meghan made it known that she was not a fan of Trump's candidacy. She said Trump was “misogynistic and divisive” and indicated her support for Hillary Clinton. “Trump has made it easy to see that you don’t really want that kind of world that he’s painting,” Markle said.

In 2020, Meghan became the first member of the Royal Family to vote in an election, although she did not reveal who she voted for. Prince Harry cannot yet vote in the U.S. election because although he's now a U.S. resident, he's not a citizen. But in an interview with Good Morning America, he said citizenship is something he has considered.

Political advocacy

This time around, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken a different approach towards the U.S. election. Like in 2020, they have not endorsed either candidate, but instead launched a major voter participation initiative through their Archewell Foundation.

Their campaign aims to motivate Americans to vote in the upcoming U.S. election, making a bold move into political advocacy that has attracted both praise and criticism.

Their move to California has redefined Prince Harry’s public role. They built partnerships with voting rights organizations and started letter-writing campaigns. These actions sparked new debates about royal neutrality and raised questions about appropriate boundaries for former working royals who participate in political discussions.

Archewell Foundation launched a detailed voter campaign on National Voter Registration Day. The foundation's staff united actively to boost voter participation throughout the United States. Their core team participated enthusiastically in volunteer activities that showed their steadfast dedication to democratic processes.

“Voting is not just a right; it's a fundamental way to influence the fate of our communities,” stated the foundation in their official announcement. The organization takes a strictly non-partisan stance and focuses on voter registration without supporting any specific candidates.

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, in a photo shared by the Archewell Foundation in Nov. 22, 2022 (Source: Archewell)

Archewell Foundation and Vote Forward joined forces to create an effective voter outreach strategy. The foundation's staff employed Vote Forward's letter-writing tool to connect with potential voters. This collaborative effort helped the foundation apply proven voter outreach methods that aligned with their non-partisan position.

The public can easily participate in this initiative through Vote Forward's website and register directly at Vote.gov. “Together, let's make sure every eligible voter is informed and empowered to participate in shaping America's future,” the foundation stated in their call to action.

Prince Harry's transformation from traditional royal neutrality to political participation marks a major change in his public role. During the Time 100 broadcast, he made a candid revelation: “I've never been able to vote in the U.K. my entire life,” which highlighted his former position's limitations.

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His recent efforts focus on curbing online misinformation and improving digital literacy, especially when dealing with negative online content's impact on public discourse. But the Sussexes' involvement in U.S. election matters has ignited heated debates on both sides of the Atlantic.

This controversy shows how royal traditions and modern political participation often clash. In response to the Sussexes’ statements in 2020, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson stated, “We would not comment. The duke is not a working member of the royal family and any comments he makes are in a personal capacity.” But one palace insider said Harry had “crossed the line,” according to a report in the Times.

Prince Harry’s visa status

The couple stepped into American electoral politics as Prince Harry's U.S. visa status remains under discussion. Prince Harry disclosed his use of cannabis, cocaine and magic mushrooms in his autobiography, “Spare,” published in January 2023. Visa applications enquire about drug use -- a factor that could jeopardize one's application.

A legal challenge, initiated by the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, aimed to force the government to unveil the records to determine if the prince had declared his usage. However, a U.S. judge, Carl Nichols, ruled that “the public does not have a compelling interest in the disclosure of the duke's immigration records.”

Harry’s visa status and whether a change in government may affect it also came up in a recent Daily Mail interview with Eric Trump. Donald Trump’s second son suggested in the interview that Prince Harry's visa is safe, because “no one cares” about the Duke or his “unpopular” wife, Meghan. He added that his father “loved the Queen” and lamented how Harry had done a “huge detriment” to the Royal Family after turning his back on the U.K.

Eric Trump speaks on the final night of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Harry's unique position as a non-working royal living in America creates an unprecedented situation. Norman Baker, former Liberal Democrat MP, emphasized that “any private citizen is entitled to comment on the U.S. election,” yet raised concerns about Harry's HRH status during his political discourse.

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However, voting rights supporters across the United States have welcomed the Sussexes' participation in voter initiatives. American supporters see their work differently and emphasize the need to increase voter participation, rather than following traditional royal protocols.

Organizations that work to curb election misinformation have strongly backed the couple's approach to civic participation. Their foundation helps protect electoral integrity through its focus on digital literacy and online misinformation. This has earned praise from democracy supporters while staying away from partisan politics.

The Sussexes have added a fresh perspective to celebrity involvement in voter engagement that continues to influence democratic participation. They chose the right and responsible path by focusing on non-partisan voter registration and digital literacy, which serves as an example for other public figures.