Meghan Markle appealing for royal fans to stop trolling both herself and Princess Kate has gone viral on TikTok as Kate continues to receive chemotherapy for cancer.
The Duchess of Sussex used her Oprah Winfrey interview in March 2021 to appeal for calm from both fandoms, who have spent years in open warfare online.
Some may think her words, while doubtless well-intentioned, have had little effect in the years that followed as her own Sussex Squad supporters and Kate’s fan base continued to pile in on each other.
A clip of the interview resurfaced after Kate announced her cancer diagnosis following weeks of speculation about her absence from public life, much of it driven by Meghan and Harry’s online supporters.
Joe Pugliese/Harpo Productions and Samir Hussein/WireImage
The footage was liked more than 73,000 times and viewed 382,000 times after it was posted with the message: “Kate and Meghan > the no life trolls who always put them against each other for no reason.”
Meghan’s remarks during her interview with Oprah came as she discussed allegations that she made Kate cry, which she says are false and that Kate has acknowledged were untrue.
She said: “I’m not sharing that piece about Kate in any way to be disparaging to her. I think it’s really important for people to understand the truth.
“But also I think, a lot of it, that was fed into by the media. And I would hope that she would have wanted that corrected, and maybe in the same way that the Palace wouldn’t let anybody else negate it, they wouldn’t let her, because she’s a good person.
“And I think so much of what I have seen play out is this idea of polarity, where if you love me, you don’t have to hate her. And if you love her, you don’t need to hate me.”
In her cancer announcement, Kate said: “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.
“The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.
“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.
“But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.
“As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.”
Jack Royston is Newsweek‘s chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.