Hillary Clinton has previously spoken of her admiration for Meghan Markle but the former US president candidate’s latest comments about the Duchess of Sussex have well and truly made us well up.
Speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday morning, the former FLOTUS said the 38-year-old had ‘absolutely’ faced a racially fuelled backlash after her relationship with Prince Harry came to light in 2016.
‘I think even if you go back and look at social media from the time the engagement was announced, race was clearly an element in it,’ the Secretary of State added.
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‘And to think that some of your - what we would call mainstream - media actually allowed that to be printed in their pages, or amplified, was heart-breaking and wrong.’
Last month, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about her struggles with the media intrusion in an interview on the ITV documentary Harry and Meghan: An African Journey.
During her discussion with presenter Tom Bradby, the royal spoke openly about the toll the harassment has taken on her behind the scenes, indicating that she has not felt 'ok' at times.
'Especially as a woman it's really - it's a lot,' Markle said. 'So you add this on top of just trying to be a new Mum and trying to be a newlywed.'
'And also thank you for asking, because not many people will have asked if I'm OK,' the Duchess added. 'But it's a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.'
Clinton continued, adding that Meghan has ‘made her own way in the world.
‘And then she falls in love, and he falls in love with her, and everybody should be celebrating that because it is a true love story. You can just look at them and see that.’
The former First Lady of the US said that she feels compelled to give advice and support to the royal following the relentless media backlash and criticism she’s endured in recent years.
‘I feel as a mother I just want to put my arms around her. Oh my God, I want to hug her!
‘I want to tell her to hang in there, don't let those bad guys get you down. Keep going, do what you think is right.
‘You know, it's not easy. And there are some techniques that can be learned along the way, some humour, some deflection, whatever, which I'm sure she will come to. But it is tough what she is going through. And I think she deserves a lot better.’
Clinton’s quotes came days after the former politician and her daughter Chelsea made an appearance at the Southbank Centre in London on Sunday to promote their new book, The Book Of Gutsy Women: Favourite Stories Of Courage And Resilience.
The Book of Gutsy Women: Our Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience
Last month, Holly Lynch Labour MP - who was part of a collective of female MPs who expressed solidarity with Meghan Markle in an open letter criticising the press intrusion against her - revealed she had received a personal call of gratitude from the Duchess of Sussex.
'It was the Duchess of Sussex,' Lynch revealed to ITV. 'She was calling to thank myself and other women MPs for standing with her and sending the open letter to say we, as women in public office absolutely understand what she's going through, although in very different roles.
'We stand with her in solidarity to say that we shouldn't be tearing down women in public life through the press or otherwise. She was pleased to have seen that letter.'
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
