London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Duchess Meghan makes history by voting in presidential election; doesn't say who she picked

Duchess Meghan makes history by voting in presidential election; doesn't say who she picked

Duchess Meghan of Sussex voted in the 2020 presidential election, making history as first official British royal to do so.


Meghan Markle,Prince Harry draw criticism for political video

Duchess Meghan of Sussex has another first to add to her resume: She's the first member of the British royal family to vote for president in an American election.

The former Meghan Markle, who is an American citizen, took part in the quadrennial ritual, according to a person close to the situation but not authorized to speak publicly.

No details were released about when and where the royal duchess, 39, voted, though it may have been from home. So far, no pictures have yet emerged showing her standing in line at her local polling place near her new Southern California home in Montecito, Santa Barbara County.

But it would have been a surprise if she had not voted, given that she and husband Prince Harry, 36, spent some time prior to the Nov. 3 election urging Americans to register and vote.



Harry is a citizen of the United Kingdom so he can't vote, but Meghan can.

She jumped feet first into the election this year, calling in via video in August to an online non-partisan voter registration drive co-chaired by former first lady Michelle Obama,whom she called "my friend."

"It's 75 days until the election, that is so close and yet there is so much work to be done in that time," she said. "We all know what’s at stake, I know it and you do, too...We must do all we can to ensure all women have their voices heard...If you're complacent, you're complicit."

Although she didn't say which candidate she was backing, it was assumed, given her previous critical remarks about President Donald Trump, that she probably wouldn't vote for him.

The U.K. tabloids, among the loudest voices in the chorus of Sussex critics, were certainly under no illusions, and lambasted both Harry and Meghan for alleged meddling in American politics, which is a no-no for royals back home.



A Republican congressman from Missouri asked the British government to strip Harry and Meghan of their titles for "interfering" in the election by trying to influence voters.

By carrying out a civic duty, Meghan is the first member of the British royal family to cast a presidential ballot in America. Although she and Harry stepped down from their roles as senior working royals in March, and agreed to drop the use of the word "royal" in their activities, they still retain it officially, as per his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

As usual when it comes to Meghan, comparisons have been made to the former Wallis Simpson, also a divorced American, who married the former King Edward VIII in 1937 after he abdicated to wed her. The royal family was so angry at his betrayal of duty, his brother, the new King George VI, denied Wallis the title of "Her Royal Highness," so she was never officially royal nor accepted as a member of the royal family.

This was a humiliation the couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor after their marriage, never forgot and never forgave.

Even so, it's not clear Wallis Simpson ever voted in an American election, before or after her marriage to the ex-king. After 1928, just eight years after women got the right to vote in the U.S., Wallis spent the rest of her life living in the U.K., France or the Bahamas, only occasionally returning to the U.S. to visit.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×