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British RoyalsThe Sussexes

Hillary Clinton defends Duchess of Sussex

The Duchess of Sussex has two staunch defenders in former US First Lady and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, the pair said that they both find Meghan to be a gutsy woman, with Hillary exclaiming that “I’m a huge Meghan Markle fan.”

When asked about the Duchess of Sussex’s lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday and why the Clintons have never sued the media, Hillary comments that American laws are different from UK laws.

“But I do want to say that the way she’s been treated is inexplicable,” Clinton says. “…if the explanation is that she’s biracial, then shame on everybody…it’s certainly part [of her ill treatment].”

Chelsea says that some of the criticism of Meghan, in addition to being partially racially motivated, is also because “she proudly had a career first and has a voice that she thankfully continues to use.

“Anyone who has the temerity to break the mould of what has previously been established and expected often, unfortunately, receives criticism and bile that I don’t understand. We’ve seen this pattern repeatedly. I don’t know her, but as someone who respects her, I’m grateful that she persists, and is unbowed, and is doing work she feels called to do. And also isn’t willing to be bullied.”

The Duchess may not have met the Clintons yet, but as a child, she wrote a letter to the then-First Lady following a sexist television commercial for Ivory dish soap that implied only women were capable of doing the dishes.

In an interview with Nick News at the time, 11-year-old Meghan says that “If you see something that you don’t like or offended by on television or any other place, write letters and send them to the right people and you can really make a difference, not just for yourself but for lots of other people.”

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS will publish in Fall 2024.