Can you be a feminist in the royal family?
In less than a fortnight Meghan Markle will become the country’s first vocal feminist princess - a token term, but an important one nonetheless. The former Suits actress has been fighting the fight for gender equality long before it was popular to do so.
On a basic level, unlike her royal peers, she has a successful career and has lived on her own. She is an ambassador for UN Women and the charity World Vision and has served as a counsellor for One Young World. She has used her social media channels to show her support for Hilary Clinton, lament Brexit and to brand Donald Trump as “misogynistic”. She is one of the few royal women who has worn trousers to official public engagements – this shouldn’t be notable, but of course it is. She’s written about ‘period poverty’ for Time magazine. She has reportedly made secret visits to meet Grenfell Tower survivors. At the age of 11, angered by a sexist TV advert for washing up liquid, she wrote letters to Hilary Clinton and Gloria Allred. A camera crew came to her house to the cover the story and eventually the ad’s offending slogan was changed. Markle has always wanted to make a difference.
She’s shown signs that she wants to continue campaigning within the confines of the royal family. In February, she showed her support for the Time’s Up and Me Too movements at a London forum for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry’s charity, the Royal Foundation. Her words had impact – the royal family are typically dissuaded from using their voice when it comes to political issues.
“I think right now in the climate we are seeing so many campaigns. I mean #MeToo and Time’s Up, and there is no better time to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered, and people really helping to support them – men included,” Markle said. “I mean, it makes such a tremendous difference. So... I guess we wait a couple of months and we can hit the ground running.”
The question is: are the royal family ready for a free-thinking, outspoken, self-described feminist to join the firm? If Markle is allowed to continue fighting for gender equality – to have a voice – then this is significant; it indicates that feminism is no longer a wild left-field concept. It is mainstream universal wisdom that even an institution as traditional as the royal family can be on board with.
Perhaps the royal family will recognise that part of Markle’s public appeal is that she embodies what it is be a woman today in terms of being opinionated, ambitious, independent and politically engaged. Few will relate to having a career as a Hollywood actress, but Markle’s desire to fight injustice and to talk freely about issues she cares about will be familiar for swathes of women. To tell Markle to scrap the thing that makes her relevant (and by default, makes the royal family relevant) would seem like an unpopular misstep – a sign of how out of touch the royal family are with the public and the modern world. Indeed, the monarchy have already seen through William, Kate and Harry’s work in removing the stigma of mental health, just how potent campaigning and being personal can be.
However, the signs are already indicating that Markle may have to do her work silently. How modern is it to sacrifice your career, independence and voice for a man? It all feels very Ariel from The Little Mermaid. She has deleted her social-media channels. Of course, this will be in part for security and privacy reasons, but it could also have a lot to do with control. Post-wedding, Markle will presumably operate on social media via the Kensington Palace channels, employed by Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when they want to make a statement.
Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt told us recently that he understands that the palace are concerned about how Markle will cope with having to hold back. “She’s an independent woman with opinions,” said Hunt. “How does a woman with opinions function within the royal family? She is a self-confessed, self-advertised feminist. How does that work in an institution like the royal family? Her comments on Me Too, how many more times can she say that once she is a duchess?”
Despite being led by a woman, the royal family has never had an official position on feminism – or indeed any political issue. They are required to remain neutral. The Queen may arguably be the most powerful and influential woman in the world, but her job is bound by duty, small talk and performing at public events. And let’s not forget that any woman who has rebelled against the confines and tradition of the monarchy, who drew attention to herself, has never fared well.
Of course, you could argue that of course times have changed - after all, succession laws were changed to allow girls equal access to the throne - but have they really? It's rare to hear the Duchess of Cambridge speak unless giving an official speech. But perhaps that's just her nature. Regardless, Markle has a lot to battle – the confidence that she displayed in her videoed engagement interview with Harry has been seen as a negative by some – there were references to her being a “scene stealer”. She has also been branded a social-climber. Markle has no society to climb given her success, fame and fortune, but think about it – when was the last time you heard a man being described as a social-climber? It’s a gendered term that has been used to belittle and diminish.
It’s worth thinking about the kind of issues Markle will be permitted to publicly fight for. Sure, she’ll be granted permission to visit orphanages, promote worthy charity causes or sporadically talk about the importance of gender equality in general, gentle tones, but she will she be able to use her voice freely? Will she able to speak with passion? Call me cynical, but I would wager she’ll have to stick to firm-approved issues like, for example, Michelle Obama’s childhood obesity campaign or Melania Trump’s fight against cyber bullying.
But Rome wasn’t built in a day. The welcoming of the first woke princess to the royal family is undoubtedly a positive. Here’s to you Meghan and good luck.
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