Meghan Markle may be planning a move into the political arena with four clear signs revealing her possible ambitions.
The Duchess of Sussex has publicly always been ready to show a social conscience and now there are indicators that she is tempted to become a politician.
Rumours started to circulate after it was discovered that Harry and Meghan paid almost £90,000 to Michelle Obama’s former press secretary for 'strategic support for social impact PR”.
The money was paid by the Archewell Foundation - Prince Harry and Meghan’s charitable organisation - to a PR company run by top US political spin doctor Katie McCormick Lelyveld.
Meghan’s interest in social issues dates back to when she was a child and she wrote to Procter & Gamble to reportedly change a sexist advert.
That has been carried on with the Archewell Foundation and now there are suggestions that Meghan is targeting a political career.
The Daily Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers says the payment "gives you some indication about whether (Meghan) has political ambition”.
"Some people have said it's frankly ridiculous but I wouldn’t bet against it,” he told Sky News Australia at the wekeend
Four signs of Meghan’s political aspirations
1. Cold calling senators
Meghan reportedly contacted senators in the US as she campaigned for paid parental leave in 2021.
The Duchess is cold-called senators Shelley Moore Capito and Susan Collins using a withheld number and told them: “This is Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.”
Senator Capito said she was at the wheel when her phone went.
"I’m in my car. I’m driving. It says ‘caller ID blocked’," the senator recalled.
“I thought it was Senator (Joe) Manchin. His calls come in blocked. And she goes, 'Senator Capito?' I said, 'Yes?' She said, 'This is Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.'"
Both senators said Meghan pushed for them to adopt a policy to ensure Americans received paid leave after having a baby.
The Duchess had been given their mobile numbers by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
2. Meghan seeks vaccine equity
Also in 2021, Meghan and Harry told a crowd of 60,000 people at a New York Covid concert that “where you’re born should not dictate your ability to survive”.
The Sussexes took to the stage at Global Citizen Live in the US to push for the Covid vaccine to be made more readily available around the world to poorer nations.
Meghan said: "Every single person on this planet has a fundamental right to get this vaccine but that's not happening.
"It is wrong that so much of the vaccine supply has only gone to just ten wealthy nations and not everyone else, it's just not OK.”
3. Royal charity work
During her time as a working senior royal, The Duchess of Sussex worked with a number of charities and launched some important projects.
Her interests included mental health, women's rights, animal welfare and bringing communities together - such as the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy with the release of a cookbook called ' Together: Our Community Cookbook'.
4. Hiring Michelle Obama’s press chief
Meghan and Harry have brought in Ms McCormick Lelyveld’s PR company KMLSA LLC.
Ms Lelyveld served as the former First Lady's press secretary from 2007 to 2011.
She has also been a PR adviser to Democratic grandees Hillary Clinton and former presidential candidate John Kerry.
The tax returns for Archewell show that £89,000 was paid to Ms Lelyveld’s company KMLSA LLC for “strategic support for social impact PR” in 2021.
