Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Just Made a Rare Television Appearance
Meghan Markle used to make her living on television, playing Rachel Zane on Suits for seven seasons. But since her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, her TV appearances have been few and far between—not counting news coverage of her life, of course.
But she and Prince Harry popped up on the Time 100 special on ABC on September 22, their first time on television since stepping away from their royal roles and settling in Markle’s home state of California. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had an important message to share about voting, a cause the duchess especially has been publicly discussing for months.
“We’re just six weeks out from Election Day, and today is National Voter Registration Day. Every four years, we are told the same thing, that ‘this is the most important election of our lifetime,’” Markle said. “But this one is. When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard. Your voice is a reminder that you matter. Because you do. And you deserve to be heard.”
Obviously, Prince Harry will not be voting here in the U.S. as he’s not a citizen, but he reminded people that—as a member of the royal family—he’s actually never been allowed to vote in the U.K. either. “This election, I’m not going to be able to vote here in the U.S.,” he said. “But many of you may not know that I haven’t been able to vote in the U.K. my entire life. As we approach this November, it’s vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation, and online negativity.”
“Seeing our world through the lens of community is so important. Because we need to redraw the lines of how we engage with each other, both online and off,” Markle said. “What we’re exposed to online seeps into how we engage with each other offline. It can train us to be kind, or it can train us to be cruel.”
Prince Harry added, “But when the bad outweighs the good, for many, whether we realize it or not, it erodes our ability to have compassion and our ability to put ourself in someone else’s shoes. Because when one person buys into negativity online, the effects are felt exponentially. It’s time to not only reflect, but act.”
The Time 100 appearance is just one of many the Duchess of Sussex has made in support of getting out the vote for the November election. Gloria Steinem revealed she and Meghan Markle recently started making cold calls to potential voters, which was surely a great surprise to the recipients.
Make sure you are registered to vote in the upcoming election at Vote.org.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
