Despite Prince Harry and Meghan Markle actively campaigning for the environment and their various charities of choice, the newlyweds can’t seem to catch a break. Recently, they came under fire for flying private (a trip which was later revealed to have been paid for by Elton John), despite other members of the royal family routinely doing the exact same thing.
The backlash prompted multiple celebrities to speak out, including Pink and Ellen DeGeneres, and Jessica Mulroney to break her silence after three years of bad press against her best friend. While first reports suggested Meghan was taking the criticism in her stride and focusing on her upcoming tour of South Africa and the clothing line she’s releasing with Smart Works, now contradictory reports are saying that it’s actually taking a bigger toll than we first thought.
An insider told Us Weekly that the Duchess of Sussex “feels that there is a standard set very high by [Kate Middleton]. It’s discouraging that the British public holds her up to that. Meghan has this sense of isolation being in the U.K., subject to cruel British media. Her hands are tied and she isn’t allowed to defend herself. It has been very difficult.”
This isn’t the first time a similar thing has been said about Meghan. Back in December, a source told Us Weekly that “It’s just been frustrating and stressful to have no voice.”
“She’s always relied on her own voice to stand up for others, and for herself. So not being able to say anything is a debilitating feeling. She’s always been so independent, her entire life, and that’s all been taken away from her. She’s always been able to clap back on social media and now she can’t.”
Last month, Meghan was heard publicly addressing the negative attention she’d been receiving while speaking to Pharrell Williams at The Lion King. When the musician said he is happy for her and Harry, she replied, “Thank you. They don’t make it easy.”
