Meghan Markle has taken heat from members of the British press, including some committed monarchists, for what some have described as an excessive demand for privacy.
According to Yahoo! Lifestyle, the duchess of Windsor and Prince Harry first prompted backlash by deciding to host a “media-free, private christening for son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.” Some critics have asserted that since both the duke and duchess of Windsor live extremely privileged lives on the taxpayer dime, they should be more open to the press on such public matters. However, even fiercer backlash erupted last Thursday when Meghan Markle attended a Wimbledon match and people were asked to avoid photos of her.
“The California-born duchess is facing backlash following a report from Britain’s Telegraph newspaper, in which columnist and media consultant Sally Jones claims a man she took to be a royal protection officer asked her to not take photos of Meghan in the stands at Wimbledon last Thursday …,” reports Yahoo. “The former Suits star attended the tennis tournament last week in support of friend Serena Williams.”
Rebecca English, royal correspondent for the Daily Mail, said the situation “doesn’t play out terribly well” because her position as a taxpayer-funded public figure does not give her the freedom to make arbitrary rules about photographs at a public sporting event.
“So this is interesting. But a few points: Contrary to speculation she wasn’t there in a royal box, but as a guest of a player,” English said on Twitter. “That said, it’s ridiculous not to expect members of the public to take ‘some’ pictures at such a public event — as long as its not ‘too’ intrusive.”
“This not the fault of her P.R. team whatsoever,” English added. “But Meghan should be advised that this doesn’t play out terribly well. The Royal Family occupy a very privileged position. That doesn’t mean they aren’t entitled to some privacy. But not at a global sporting event.”
Talkshow host Piers Morgan excoriated Meghan Markle on “Good Morning Britain” Tuesday for having an “obsession” with privacy, and advised her to go back to America if she doesn’t like the royal demands.
“This is so ridiculous, this obsession that her and Harry have about privacy,” Morgan said. “It’s rankly hypocritical and they’re not private people, they’re the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. We get to pay for their mansion, we get to do all of this … If you want to be private, go back to America and live privately, it’s pretty straightforward.”
Later, Piers Morgan doubled down on his attacks on Twitter. “It’s absurd for Ms. Markle to demand privacy as she sits in the royal box on a publicly-funded jolly with her mates,” he tweeted.
Some of Meghan Markle’s fans immediately accused Piers Morgan of harboring racial animus, considering her status as Britain’s first half-black princess.
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