Since marrying Prince Harry in May, Meghan Markle's life has drastically changed now that she is the Duchess of Sussex – including her say in all things political. As a new senior member of the royal family, Meghan, along with her husband and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, would not usually be expected to vote. While they have the right to, it is thought that they follow in the Queen's footsteps of staying neutral to political matter. Buckingham Palace previously told Newsweek that "by convention", members of the royal family "close to the Queen" do not exercise their right to vote, Kensington Palace declined to comment on this story when contacted by HELLO!.
Meghan Markle recently gave a passionate speech about voting
Not voting, however, LA-born Meghan knows the importance of using her vote, and only last week gave a powerful speech about women's right to do so while in New Zealand ahead of the US elections on Tuesday. The 37-year-old mum-to-be also posted a lengthy article in 2016 about voting, which was uploaded on her now closed-down blog, The Tig.
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Meghan wrote: "The right to vote is something for which blood, sweat and tears have been shed; the struggle was endless for us to have this liberty." Referring to voting herself, she added: "I ticked the boxes on my absentee ballot last week, closing my eyes and thinking of my great grandparents who didn’t have this right (and thinking of how it would have changed the lives of my grandparents if they had)."
Meghan's life has changed a lot since marrying Prince Harry
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The former Suits actress added: "So on this day we urge you to exercise said right. Please vote. The fact that we can makes us the lucky ones." During the final leg of the royal tour in Wellington, Meghan spoke out about the woman's right to vote on the 125th anniversary for women's suffrage. She said: "Yes, women's suffrage is about feminism, but feminism is about fairness. Suffrage is not simply about the right to vote but also about what that represents. The basic and fundamental human right of being able to participate in the choices for your future and that of your community. The involvement and voice that allows you to be a part of the very world you are a part of."
While Meghan is in the process of becoming a British citizen she would still be eligible to vote by proxy. Tell us, do you think Meghan should vote?
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