Meghan Markle’s account that her marriage to Prince Harry has sparked a celebration in South Africa not seen since Nelson Mandela’s release has sparked outrage and derision. Mandela’s grandson Zwelivelile commented on her interview. He said he was “surprised”.
Montecito – Meghan Markle (41) spoke about her royal life in her interview with The Cut. In it, she picks up an anecdote and reports on an encounter on “The Lion King” three years ago. A South African actor would have said to her: “When you married into this family, we cheered in the streets the same way we did when Mandela was freed from prison”. Zwelivelile Mandela (48), Member of Parliament and grandson of the late South African President Nelson Mandela (59, † 2013), now spoke on behalf of his family, who were very “surprised” by Meghan Markle’s comparison.
“Overcoming 60 years of apartheid is not the same as marrying a white prince”
His grandfather Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison before he was released, reunited the opponents and continued to lead his country, he told MailOnline about the historical context. After 60 years of brutal apartheid and 350 years of colonialism in South Africa, the country expressed its joy at the release of Mandela and danced in the streets, Zwelivelile said. This is a far more important and serious reason than her marriage “to a white prince”.
Zwelivelile Mandela continues to report and also addresses his words to Prince Harry’s wife: “Every day there are people who want to be Nelson Mandela, who either want to compare themselves to him or emulate him,” he says. But before you relate to Nelson Mandela, you should look at his work and be able to stand up for what Mandela stands for, he added.
‘Truly bizarre’, ‘breathtaking arrogance’ and ‘doing her no favours’: royal pundits react to Meghan’s interview on ‘The Cut’ and Meghan’s Spotify podcast ‘Archetypus’
In the 6,409-word magazine article titled “Meghan of Montecito,” which also appears to be promoting her new Archetypes podcast with singer Mariah Carey, 53, the Duchess of Sussex spilled a series of subtle taunts against the royals let the little hope for a reconciliation.
Royal experts see ‘disrespect’ in Meghan’s anecdote
Meghan didn’t do herself any favors by choosing her story, Royal experts everywhere complained. After the interview was published, the hashtag #VoetsekMeghan became trending in South Africa. Voetsek is an Afrikaans word, one of South Africa’s eleven official languages, and means something like “go away” or “get lost”. It’s also a common swear word.
Meghan’s interview also damages the relationship with Mandela’s family that members of the royal family have built and nurtured. Just last month, Prince Harry (37) delivered a touching speech to the UN General Assembly to mark Nelson Mandela Day on July 18 in New York City. Prince Charles (73) and Princess Diana (36, † 1997) were also close to Mandela. The late Princess of Wales met him in Cape Town in March 1997. Also, in November 2002, Mandela visited Althorp in Northamptonshire to visit Diana at her grave. Sources used: Instagram.com, dailymail.co.uk
