Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are said to have held a secret ‘introductory meeting’ with California Governor Gavin Newsom in the run-up to the election – just weeks after the former Royals ‘violated’ the terms of their ‘Megxit’ deal by wading into politics.
The Sussexes, who now live in the Golden State, took part in a virtual hour-long meeting with the Democratic governor back on October 19, according to a memo obtained by The Sun.
It is not clear what was discussed in the meeting with Newsom’s office telling the outlet it does not comment on ‘the content of meetings between the Governor and private parties or his staff.’
At the time, the presidential election was just two weeks away and Newsom was facing mounting calls to line up a woman of color to replace then-California Senator Kamala Harris if she was elected vice president.
The alleged meeting between the former Royals and the prominent politician came after Meghan and Harry were accused of ‘crossing the line’ in September in a Time 100 video where they told American voters to ‘reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity’ in ‘the most important election of our life.’
Members of the Royal family are supposed to be politically neutral.
Meghan and Harry stood down as senior Royals effective March 2020 but had promised that ‘everything they do will uphold the values of Her Majesty’ even after leaving.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are said to have held a secret ‘introductory meeting’ with California Governor Gavin Newsom just two weeks in the run-up to the election – just weeks after the former Royals ‘violated’ the terms of their ‘Megxit’ deal by wading into politics
The Sussexes took part in a virtual hour-long meeting with the Democratic governor on October 19, according to a memo obtained by The Sun (above)
The memo seen by The Sun details a video conference from 3.00pm to 4.00 pm ‘with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.’
The topic of the meeting was simply listed as ‘Introductory meeting’ with the call taking place out of the governor’s mansion in Sacramento, reported the outlet.
Newsom, who was once widely tipped for a future White House run, was facing calls at the time to pick a woman of color as Harris’s prospective successor.
Some longtime state Democrats argued that if or when Harris would take office in DC, the Senate would be left with no black female members.
At least two black Representatives Barbara Lee and Karen Bass were in the running but the governor later named California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla, making him the first Hispanic senator.
News of the alleged secret meeting risks increasing tensions further between the Sussexes and Buckingham Palace after the couple sparked a row in September over their politically-charged comments.
Meghan and Harry broke with Royal convention when they released a video message making thinly-veiled digs at Donald Trump.
At the time, the presidential election was just two weeks away and Newsom was facing mounting calls to line up a woman of color to replace then-California Senator Kamala Harris if she was elected vice president
The topic of the meeting was simply listed as ‘Introductory meeting’ with the call taking place out of the governor’s mansion (pictured)
In the video, which came in a Time 100 video to go with the publication of the 2020 list of the most influential people, Harry urged Americans to ‘reject hate speech’ while Meghan called it the ‘most important election of our lifetime’.
‘As we approach this November, it’s vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity,’ said Harry – in a line many observers regarded as a swipe at Trump.
‘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,’ he said.
Meghan, who was born in California, encouraged viewers to vote telling them it was the ‘most important’ election.
‘We’re six weeks out from the election, and today is Voter Registration Day,’ she said.
‘Every four years, we’re told the same thing, ‘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.’
The message was widely seen as an attack on Trump and support for Joe Biden, breaking with centuries-old tradition for members of the Royal family to remain politically neutral.
Meghan and Harry were accused of ‘crossing the line’ in September in a Time 100 video where they told American voters to ‘reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity’ in ‘the most important election of our life’
Buckingham Palace sought to distance itself from Harry’s remarks saying that ‘the Duke is not a working member of the royal family’ and that his comments were ‘made in a personal capacity’.
But senior Royal aides said their comments had ‘violated’ the terms of the ‘Megxit’ deal they struck with the Queen when they quit Royal life and moved across the pond.
‘The [royal] family are all wringing their hands, thinking: where is this going and does this abide by the deal to uphold the values of the Queen? The feeling is it’s a violation of the agreement,’ a source told The Sunday Times.
Royal sources said the couple had ‘crossed a line’ and embarrassed the Queen, by potentially creating problems for the monarch if Trump was elected for a second term.
‘If Trump is re-elected and makes another visit here, what is the Queen supposed to say when her grandson and his wife have effectively campaigned against him?’ said a source.
Trump also hit back at the couple over the comments saying he was ‘not a fan of hers’ and that he ‘wish[ed] a lot of luck to Harry because he’s going to need it.’
A spokesman for the Sussexes denied their comments were politically charged.
‘The Duke’s message is not in reference to any specific political party or candidate, but is instead a call for decency in how we engage with each other,’ they said at the time.
Meghan is also rumored to be mulling a political career of her own – even aiming for the top job in the White House.
A source close to the couple told Vanity Fair last year she was ‘seriously consider running for president’ if they ‘ever gave up their titles and that this was one of the reasons she ‘was so keen not to give up her American citizenship.’
However, other insiders have denied the claims saying she has ‘no ambition’ to enter politics as a career.