Meghan Markle Explains Why She Doesn't See Paid Leave As A Political Issue

The Duchess of Sussex said Tuesday, "Look, there is certainly a pattern among my husband's family and the royal family of not having any role in politics."
Meghan Markle is fighting for paid leave while also appearing to respond to critics who believe she is becoming too political for someone with a royal title.

The Duchess of Sussex spoke with Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, and Andrew Ross Sorkin, the creator and editor-at-large of DealBook, on Day 1 of the DealBook Online Summit on Tuesday.

The "Minding the Gap" panel was kicked off by Ross Sorkin, who discussed paid leave, which the duchess has been fighting for by drafting a letter to Congress and making bipartisan calls to lawmakers.

He inquired about Meghan's "fear about entering politics." The royal family is normally expected to keep out of political matters, but the duchess sees paid leave as more of a "humanitarian problem."

"To be honest, I don't see this as a political problem," the former "Suits" star stated, in response to those who have questioned her participation. "Look, there's a long tradition among my husband's family and the royal family of not becoming involved in politics." But I think this is ― I mean, paid leave, from my standpoint ― is just a humanitarian issue.”

She also sees her work in the area as a continuation of the job she's done throughout her life, according to her.

"But even before I had any kind of privilege in my life, when my life and lifestyle were very, very different," the prince continued, "I always just stood up for what was right." "As a result, I've been out of the United States for quite some time." I worked in Canada for seven years before moving to the United Kingdom."

"And then to return as a mother of two and discover that the United States is one of only six nations in the world that does not provide any type of national paid leave just didn't make sense," she continued.

"I've been doing things the same way since I was a kid." "When I was 11 and saw something wrong on TV, I put pen to paper and wrote a letter about it," the queen continued, referring to a letter she wrote to Proctor & Gamble in response to sexist advertising that claimed only women should do the dishes.

"On this," the king said, "I said, okay, let me write a letter and pick up the phone and make some calls and see if I can help." "It seems like a logical and obvious thing to do to me, and I'm glad I can support it."

Last month, the Duchess of Sussex made headlines for her involvement in the push for parental leave.

Meghan discussed her own parents, the birth of her second child, and how fortunate she and Harry were not "confronted with the stark reality of either spending those first few important months with our baby or going back to work" in her letter to Congress.

"These decisions should not be forced onto any family," the duchess wrote in her letter. "No family should have to choose between working and being able to care for their child (or a loved one, or oneself, as a complete paid leave plan would allow)."

According to a Politico article last week, Meghan followed up her request by cold-calling senators on both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WVa.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Meghan met with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to discuss how she may participate in paid leave, according to reports. According to The 19th, Gillibrand offered the duchess the senators' phone numbers and said she'll be phoning additional people in addition to attending a meal with some senators.

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