British broadcaster Piers Morgan accused Prince Harry of “poking his woke nose into the US election & effectively telling Americans to vote against President Trump.”
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 23, 2020
The broadcaster called the Duke’s behaviour “completely unacceptable behaviour for a member of the Royal Family”. Members of the royal family in the UK tend to the same rules as the monarch, who remains strictly neutral with respect to political matters.
Many, however, took a video message by the royal couple as an attempt to “meddle” in the upcoming US election.
— Carol (@carolhopes_) September 23, 2020
In the video, Prince Harry speaks of the “time to act.”
“When the bad outweighs the good, for many, whether we realize it or not, it erodes our ability to have compassion and our ability to put ourself in someone else’s shoes. Because when one person buys into negativity online, the effects are felt exponentially. It’s time to not only reflect, but act. As we approach this November, it’s vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity” he said.
His spouse spoke about the importance of the upcoming presidential election.
“Every four years we are told the same thing, that this is the most important election of our lifetime. But this one is. When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard. Your voice is a reminder that you matter, because you do and you deserve to be heard,” Meghan Markle said.
Reactions to the message poured in online, with many criticizing the couple, while some arguing in their defence.
— 🔱🇬🇧jojo🇬🇧🔱 (@redial999) September 23, 2020
— Bridget Trygar (@BoltGirl95) September 23, 2020
— ⚜️ Kristine Froeba 📚 (@Kristine_Froeba) September 23, 2020
— Robierre Delecto 👮♂️👀 (@bquicker) September 23, 2020
— Katy 🧝🏻♀️ (@KatyKooky) September 23, 2020
The US will hold a presidential election on 3 November, when the Republican president Donald Trump will be challenged by Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden.