The newly-minted Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle just married her way to a key public platform for expressing herself. And at least one early indication suggests she knows exactly how she’s going to use it.
Markle’s new biography on the official website of the British royal family, which largely outlines her background in charity and activism, also emphasizes the duchess’ “lifelong commitment to causes such as social justice and women’s empowerment.”
“I am proud to be a woman and a feminist,” Markle declares on the site, apparently in reference to a quote from her 2015 speech at the United Nations.
According to a report in Reuters, the language in Markle’s biography could be more than just words on a website, instead functioning as a sign of what’s to come. “Commentators said it indicated the royal family, which traditionally steers clear of making overtly political statements, had given its blessing to her to speak out on issues such as feminism,” the outlet reported on Monday, two days after Markle’s wedding to Prince Harry.
As an American, Markle certainly knows identifying as a feminist is often perceived as a political act in and of itself (the same argument can probably be made for using the term “social justice”).
Markle, of course, will not use her platform to carry on like Gloria Steinem — but with the world watching, the new duchess does seem poised to shake up some staid royal traditions, and use her voice as boldly as possible when it comes to her favorite causes.
