'The Royal Family isn’t ready for Meghan Markle's feminist comments'

Watch the full episode 17 of Yahoo UK’s show ‘The Royal Box,‘ here.

Meghan Markle has always been a vocal advocate for female empowerment and gender equality.

When she began dating Prince Harry in 2016, she was hailed as a ‘breath of fresh air,’ for the Royal Family.

Now as the Duchess of Sussex, she has continued to champion women’s rights through her work and patronages.

During her and Harry’s royal tour of the South Pacific in October 2018, Meghan touched upon female empowerment and the importance of girls being able to access education during her speeches in Fiji and New Zealand.

The Duchess of Sussex participated in a panel discussion to mark International Women’s Day [Photo: Getty]
The Duchess of Sussex participated in a panel discussion to mark International Women’s Day [Photo: Getty]

There was a similar focus for the couple’s trip to Morocco last month, when they visited the ‘Education for All’ boarding house in Asni, which gives girls from rural communities access to secondary education.

READ MORE: Is Meghan Markle the embodiment of International Women’s Day?

She also visited one of her first patronages in January, Smart Works, a charity which helps vulnerable women get back into full-time employment.

On Friday, Meghan joined an International Women’s Day panel to discuss a range of issues affecting women today at King’s College London and was announced as Vice-President of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, which supports young leaders around the world.

In her role, the duchess will highlight the Trust’s partnerships with young people across the Commonwealth, in particular its work supporting women and girls.

Meghan speaking about girls’ education in Fiji last October [Photo: PA]
Meghan speaking about girls’ education in Fiji last October [Photo: PA]

But editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine Ingrid Seward thinks the Royal Family isn’t ready for a feminist like Meghan.

Speaking to Yahoo UK‘s ‘The Royal Box,’ the author says: “I don’t think the Royal Family are ready for any feminist comments at all.

“Some of the more old-fashioned courtiers just recoil when they see some of the things that Meghan says and is liable to say because they feel it might get her into trouble, because she might be putting her feet into the political abyss.

“The Royal Family don’t talk about politics because they don’t want to be criticised for that. Meghan is sort of walking a very tight, tight rope there.”

READ MORE: ‘Meghan Markle’s setting the bar too high for ordinary mums-to-be’

While the royals have always remained impartial when it comes to political issues, Meghan isn’t the first member of the Firm to support women’s causes.

Meghan speaking at the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand [Photo: PA]
Meghan speaking at the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand [Photo: PA]

The Queen became a member of the Women’s Institute in 1943, when she was still a princess.

The Duchess of Cornwall also gave an inspiring speech at the Women of the World (WOW) Festival (of which she is President) on Thursday and has long been a supporter of women’s rights, through her work with supporting victims of rape and sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex also hosted a reception to support Women Peacebuilders on International Women’s Day 2019, at Buckingham Palace on Friday, where she announced her commitment to the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.

To find out more about International’s Women’s Day 2019, join the conversation here where Yahoo Style and its sister sites take about the issues and stories that matter most to women.