Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will remain publicly neutral in the upcoming US presidential election, according to The Telegraph. In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had a public disagreement with Donald Trump after releasing a video that some believed supported Joe Biden. This year, they have chosen not to endorse any candidate.
Their Archewell Foundation issued a statement encouraging civic engagement. It mentioned that their team had sent personalised letters to unregistered voters, stating, "every voice matters".
However, they did not support any specific political figure. The statement emphasised the importance of voting, saying, "Voting is not just a right; it’s a fundamental way to influence the fate of our communities."
Back in 2020, Meghan described the US election as “the most important election of our lifetime”, which led to criticism from Trump. He expressed that he was “no fan” of Meghan and wished "a lot of luck to Harry".
Unlike in 2020, their current statement was issued through the Archewell Foundation and not as a personal message. The couple has decided to stay nonpartisan and avoid any endorsements during this election season.
In 2020, Buckingham Palace clarified that Prince Harry was no longer a working Royal, so his comments reflected his personal views. However, some within the Palace reportedly believed he had “crossed the line”.
The Telegraph mentioned a source close to Harry. The source said the Duke was not referring to Trump while issuing his statement in 2020.
“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,” the source said.
As Election Day approaches on November 5, the Duke and Duchess will continue to encourage people to vote without taking sides. They aim to support civic participation without making political statements, the publication added.