Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been slammed for ‘virtue-signaling’ as he waded US politics during his speech at the UN General Assembly.
DailyMail.com columnist Meghan McCain blasted the Duke of Sussex for ‘not offering any solutions’ to the issues in America.
The Duke of Sussex launched a thinly-veiled attack on the Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade ruling last month that handed abortion rights back to individual states.
The 37-year-old claimed it was part of a ‘global assault on democracy and freedom’ as he also cited Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine among problems facing the world.
The comments, heard by a mostly-empty room at the United Nations for Nelson Mandela Day on Monday morning, were the latest broadside at US politicians.
It comes after his wife Meghan told how the Duke had a ‘gutteral’ reaction to the Supreme Court’s bombshell overturning of Roe v Wade last month.
Protesters also stood outside of the UN General Assembly in New York, with one holding up a sign which said ‘why are they here’.
TV personality Meghan McCain said: ‘Today was a missed opportunity to keep the focus on one of the truly great global leaders of all time, Nelson Mandela.
The Duke of Sussex made a thinly veiled slight on the US constitution during his speech at the UN on Monday, and has been slammed by American politicians
Protestors outside of the event in New York could be seen holding signs which demanded to know why the royal couple had attended the event
US Rep Buddy Carter said he thought that the Duke of Sussex, pictured leaving the UN with his wife, comparing American abortion laws to the Ukraine war was ‘sick and perverse’
Meghan later stepped out with activist Gloria Steinem after the pair had lunch together at the Crosby Hotel in Soho
‘The speech should have been entirely a tribute to this man. But Prince Harry can’t help himself. He has to get in his virtue-signaling.
‘He wants you to know that he thinks America is a mess and he is judging it from his lectern.
‘He’s not offering solutions of any kind, mind you, just making a speech and getting back on his private jet to return to his mansion in California.’
Meghan and Harry arrived hand in hand ahead of his speech to delegates on climate change and poverty during the two hour meeting at the UN.
It marks the first time the couple have been seen in public since jetting to the UK to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last month, where they kept a low profile.
Despite the event meant to be in celebration of Nelson Mandela Day, the Prince launched an attack on American politics during his keynote speech.
He said: ‘This has been a painful year in a painful decade. We are living through a pandemic that continues to ravage communities in every corner of the globe.
‘Climate change wreaking havoc on our planet with most vulnerable suffering most of all. The few weaponizing lies and disinformation at the expense of the many.
‘And from the horrific war in Ukraine to the rolling back of constitutional right in the US we are witnessing a global assault on democracy and freedom the cause of Mandela’s life.’
Royal biographer Robert Jobson also hit out at Harry, saying that he ‘knew it would cause controversy’ when giving his speech.
He said: ‘I, like all right thinking people, believe in free speech. It is the core of democracy.
‘Now that Prince Harry he had given up his royal role has the same right to speak out as the next man.
The couple have been slammed by Meghan McCain who said the father-of-two couldn’t help his ‘virtue signaling’ during his speech
Prince Harry has been accused of knowing that his comments would cause ‘controversy’, despite agreeing to honor the Queen’s stance of staying away from anything political when they stepped down
The couple were all smiles as they attended the event, but have now been slammed for some of the comments made
It is not the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have waded into American politics, finding themselves in hot water after commenting on the US election
‘So in that respect I commend him for a well thought out keynote address.
‘That said, when the Queen gave her blessing to him to quit as a front line working royal and live with his wife in the US he promised not to bring the Royal Family into disrepute.
‘He knows that his grandmother, our monarch, must remain above politics.
‘He knows too when his father, The Prince of Wales, and brother, William, Duke of Cambridge make public addresses that they must remain non partisan, thus avoiding embarrassing the Queen and the institution of monarchy.
‘Harry chose to speak about political issues at the UN. He knew it would cause controversy. He knew it would lead to criticism.
‘It is his right now as a private citizen to make speeches – good luck to him.
‘But had he not been a famous prince, from the privileged House of Windsor I mount very much he would not have been asked to make such an address.’
Republican politicians were also quick to condemn the comments made by the Duke of Sussex during his keynote speech.
US Rep Buddy Carter said: ‘The U.S. is protecting the lives of unborn children. Russia is killing innocent Ukrainians.
‘We are not the same and comparing the two is sick and perverse. I would remind Prince Harry that spreading disinformation is incredibly damaging to the ‘democracy and freedom’ he is so concerned about.’
Both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ignored questions about the impact of Tom Bower’s book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsor’s
Members of the UN watched on as the Duke of Sussex gave his speech, with some taking photos and videos as the royal spoke
The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation gave the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was set of framed photographs of Princess Diana’s meeting with Nelson Mandela in 1997, which Harry said brought him ‘joy’ during the speech
The couple got into their black Suburban Chevrolet as they left the UN building, heading further south in the back of the car
Harry and Meghan met with the President of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Ahahid as well as the two winners of the 2020 Nelson Mandela prize
Rep. Lisa McClain added: ‘Yet again, the Duke and Duchess are sticking their nose into American politics by attacking the U.S. rule of law.
‘I think it’s time we buy them a history book on the Revolutionary War to remind them that our government stopped caring about the ‘royals’ opinion back in 1776.’
Editor Amber Athey wrote for the Spectator: ‘I can’t help but laugh at the same guy who called the First Amendment “bonkers” fretting about an alleged erosion of constitutional rights.
‘Presumably, if Prince Harry had his way, we’d be policing speech à la the UK, where you can be thrown in jail for supposed “hate speech.”
This would constitute a much greater threat to freedom and democracy than anything referred to in Prince Harry’s UN address.
‘Prince Harry previously admitted that he does not fully “understand” the US Constitution, having only been here a “short time.” It’s no surprise that he’s made no attempt to rectify that in the past year.
‘Harry hasn’t got the American spirit. Red-blooded colonials once took up arms against the Duke of Sussex’s ancestors; comparatively, Prince Harry sold his gun collection to appease his spoiled wife.’
It is not the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have waded into American politics, finding themselves in hot water after commenting on the US election.
During a Time 100 video in September 2020 they called on American voters to ‘reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity’ in ‘the most important election of our life.’
Members of the royal family are supposed to be politically neutral, when they stepped back from their roles the Sussex’s vowed that ‘everything they do will uphold the values of Her Majesty’.
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