Meghan Markle is making her mark on the political landscape once again - and it's caused quite a stir. The Duchess of Sussex urged her fellow Americans to vote in the midterm elections, which will decide who sits in the House of Representatives and the Senate and can make nationwide laws.
Along with millions of voters across the US, Meghan headed down to a polling station to exercise her own civic duty and shared a photo on her Archewell site with an 'I voted' sticker on her t-shirt. The reaction to Meghan's dive into US politics has divided many, which is pretty reflective of the country as a whole as the fight for control of the Senate is on a knife-edge right now.
The Democrats, who currently hold both chambers of Congress, are expected to lose the House but the anticipated 'red wave' of Republican votes has not happened.
On the Archewell site, Meghan and Prince Harry wrote a message urging people to cast their vote and have a say in the elections, which are called the midterms because that happen in the middle of a President's four-year term.
They also shared a text service number which aims to help find polling locations and other information for voters as well as a checklist of things to do.
"Today is Election Day in the US! Time to get out and vote!" read the post.
"Text ARCHEWELL to 26797 to find your polling location and make sure you are ready to vote."
There was a mix of strong reactions online - with some angry Americans calling for the Duchess of Sussex to have her titles stripped.
One person tweeted: "STRIP THEIR TITLES NOW!! This is WILDLY inappropriate! Meghan Markle can vote, but this campaigning to get people to vote is not appropriate for a royal. Strip that Duchess of Sussex title NOW, Charles. She's ignorant and arrogant about her royal status, and it reflects on you."
"I don’t disagree with what she says about voting here. But as long as she has a British royal title, she shouldn’t be using the status it gives her to influence any part of our voting process. Plenty of people are encouraging others to vote. Meghan’s voice won’t be missed," added another.
A calmer voice said: "It isn't the Duchess that needs to go but the HRH. In my opinion, this should be removed from both of them, not put in abeyance and then that would, I believe, remove their Royalness and they can do as they please without any negative reflection on The Royal Family."
But there were plenty of fans coming out in defence of Meghan - with many claiming it is her right as an American.
"Good for Meghan! The convention is that the MONARCH doesn't vote. But the queen has also urged people to vote & the royals have got involved in referendum votes & politics generally," said one supporter.
Another agreed: "Last time I checked, Meghan Markle is an American first, with the right to vote and the freedom to voice her own opinions without checking in."
"For me, she didn't really break much Royal Precedent, I don't think of her as much of a Royal, she did not like living in the UK, she is no longer a working Royal & she lives back in California with a Prince & her kids, one of which was born there & the other here. She can vote," wrote a third.
Senior members of the royal family are technically allowed to vote but are usually expected to remain neutral on political matters.
But the situation is obviously complicated now as Harry and Meghan stepped down from being working royals before moving stateside in January 2020.
The late Queen Elizabeth II did not vote, but this was due to 'convention' rather than an actual ban, and King Charles has been very vocal on a number of issues over the years.
Meghan was the first modern royal to vote in a US presidential election when she casted her ballot in the 2020 US election
During a TIME100 television special back in 2020, she called the presidential election the "most important of our lifetime."
"Every four years, we're told, 'This is the most important election of our lifetime.' But this one is," she said at the time. "When we vote, our values are put into action, and our voices are heard."
It's not the first time Meghan has been accused of using her royal title to interfere in US politics, with royal courtiers reportedly branding her interventions as 'outrageous'.
In November last year, it was reported that palace aides were claiming she had used her title "out of context" to "play in politics" by lobbying for paid parental leave.
Two Republican senators said they were shocked when they were cold called by the Duchess on the issue, with Maine Senator Susan Collins telling Politico she received a call from the Duchess on her private line.
"Much to my surprise, she called me on my private line and introduced herself as the Duchess of Sussex, which is kind of ironic," she said.
"I was happy to talk with her, but I’m more interested in what people from Maine are telling me about paid leave."
After news of the calls emerged, a palace aide reportedly told The Telegraph that Meghan should "steer clear" of these conversations.
They said: "As a member of the royal family, if you use the title, it means you steer clear of those kinds of things.
"Otherwise you’re using the title out of context and people will question your motive. The royal family has no say in American politics."
While the aide said Meghan should not be "playing in politics", a source close to the Duchess claimed she was acting in a "personal capacity as an engaged citizen".
Do you have a story to share? Email webfeatures@trinitymirror.com
