Academics accuse Meghan Markle of dropping her feminist beliefs as part of an ‘upperclass makeover’

Academics accuse Meghan Markle of dropping her feminist beliefs as part of an ‘upperclass makeover’ to become a more traditional royal

  • Duchess of Sussex’s feminist work analysed – before and after her wedding
  • The campaigner and women’s rights activist  has ‘been silenced or appropriated by the monarchy’ according to a new report   
  • Duchess is UN Advocate for Women’s Political Participation and Leadership
  • However she has not shaken up the monarchy in ways which were imagined

Meghan Markle has not revolutionised the royals with her feminist ideals but has instead been subjected to a ‘conservative, upperclass makeover’ it has been claimed.

A new report into The Duchess of Sussex has suggested rather than encouraging change at the heart of the British monarchy, Meghan has conformed to conservative ways.

The Suits actress who won Prince Harry’s heart has been a vocal campaigner, activist and feminist and travelled around the world to speak out for change in society.

But since her wedding, the Duchess has used her celebrity status to ‘re-legitimise’ the royal family’s male monarchical power Laura Clancy and Hannah Yelin from Celebrity Studies said.

Since her wedding to Prince Harry the Duchess (pictured) has taken lessons on royal protocol, rather than doing things her way

The researchers studied Meghan’s activities before and after her wedding.

They say: ‘Markle’s activist voice has been either silenced or appropriated by the monarchy: she has quit her acting career, closed down her popular blog and social media accounts for all her online activity to be ciphered through Kensington Palace.

‘Meanwhile, Markle is said to be receiving ‘duchess lessons’ from the Queen’s advisers, to be brought up to speed with protocol and expectations of life with the monarchy.’

The Duchess has a long history of charitable work and fighting for women’s rights.

In 2015, The Duchess became the UN Women’s Advocate for Women’s Political Participation and Leadership.

She said: ‘Women make up more than half of the world’s population … it is neither just nor practical for our voices to go unheard at the highest levels of decision-making.’

On her royal profile the palace states her work with charities has encouraged her to devote herself to issues for women.

A report has found The Duchess (pictured with The Queen) has been 'either silenced or appropriated by the monarchy'

A report has found The Duchess (pictured with The Queen) has been ‘either silenced or appropriated by the monarchy’

Prince Harry and The Duchess share a love of charitable work but Meghan is becoming less vocal than fans expected, a report found

Prince Harry and The Duchess share a love of charitable work but Meghan is becoming less vocal than fans expected, a report found

It states: ‘These early experiences helped to shape her lifelong commitment to causes such as social justice and women’s empowerment.’

Clancy, lectures in a sociology at Lancaster University and Yelin researches ‘celebrity and gender issues’ at Oxford Brookes University. The pair accused the Duchess of reversing the good work she had previously done.

They wrote: ‘A celebrity (post) feminist such as Markle is of great value to a British monarchy keen to … mask, or at least deflect attention from, their own intensely problematic relationship with issues of race, gender, class and religion. 

‘What is at stake here is much more than the representations of one woman and the meanings contained therein; it is the meaning of feminism itself.’

However, the actress who is pregnant with her first child has spoken out about women’s issues and is expected to devote time to female empowerment work next year. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk