The Duchess of Sussex has shared her gratitude towards female members of parliament who said in an open letter they stand in "solidarity" with her. Halifax MP Holly Lynch said the royal phoned her after she sent a letter of solidarity signed by female MPs from across Parliament. In the open letter to Meghan, 72 cross-party MPs pledged to use the "means at our disposal" to ensure the press accepts her right to privacy, shows respect and that its stories "reflect the truth".
Ms Lynch, who posted the letter on social media on Tuesday, told ITV News she was contacted by Buckingham Palace on Wednesday morning and asked if she was free to speak with the Duchess. The Labour MP said: "She was calling to thank myself and other women MPs for standing with her, sending the open letter to say 'we as women in public office absolutely understand what she is going through'.
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"Although in very different public roles, we stand with her in solidarity to say we shouldn't be tearing down women in public life through the press or otherwise, and she was pleased to have seen that letter." Ms Lynch said like Meghan she is also a "fairly new mum", and then went on to reveal they also discussed the challenges of being in the public eye and managing childcare.
Meghan Markle has thanked Halifax MP Holly Lynch
The open letter said the media had printed stories and headlines which had invaded the duchess's privacy and "sought to cast aspersions" on her character. "We were quite happy to stand with her and recognise that what she is going through has, on occasion, had xenophobic undertones," explained Ms Lynch. "We are not happy about that at all. We stand with her on challenging that and we will look to do everything we can at this end if some of our national press do not have healthier, shall we say, interests in her life."
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The letter from parliamentary members comes after Meghan and her husband Prince Harry spoke candidly about the struggles they have faced as newlyweds and new parents to baby Archie in an ITV documentary, which was filmed during their royal tour of Africa. The Duchess confessed she has found it difficult to adjust to the tabloid coverage, saying: "It's hard. I don't think anybody could understand that, but in all fairness I had no idea, which probably sounds difficult to understand ... but when I first met my now-husband my friends were really happy because I was so happy, but my British friends said to me, 'I'm sure he's great but you shouldn't do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life'."
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