Never ones to shy away from media attention, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been trying to find ways to insert themselves into many high-profile events and tragedies over the last several years. That’s what makes the couple’s relative silence on the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7 all the more curious.
On Wednesday’s show, Megyn was joined by Daily Mail columnist Maureen Callahan to discuss the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tepid response to the atrocities.
The Duke and Duchess of Silence
As Megyn noted, the Suits actress has “injected herself into every terrible story so she can look like a caring princess.” In this particular situation, however, we haven’t seen the same response. “I find this fascinating,” Callahan said. “As she’s attempting her eight-millionth relaunch because maybe this time America will like her… she’s been extremely quiet and one can only wonder why.”
Last month, Callahan wrote a piece for Daily Mail in which she called out celebrities like Alicia Keys, Gigi Hadid, Oprah, and, yes, Harry and Meghan who “love to condemn social justice ‘crimes’” but are playing “coy when it comes to horrific Hamas terror.”
In the case of the former royals, Callahan noted that Markle wasted no time showing up to Uvalde, Texas in May to be seen outside the school where 19 students and two teachers were murdered by a deranged gunman. “I think Meghan’s worst action – among many – was flying herself down to Uvalde in the aftermath of that shooting and having herself photographed laying flowers, making it known that she brought food to people,” Callahan told Megyn. “[She] had no reason to be there… nobody has use for you and your little Netflix crew.”
When it came to Israel, however, the response was noticeably more understated. The pair released a statement in the aftermath of the attack via their non-profit Archewell. Callahan called their words “gutless,” “vague,” and “perhaps raising the implication that Israel, too, is at fault here.” It read:
“At The Archewell Foundation, with Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, we stand against all acts of terrorism and brutality. We are supporting our partners and organizations on the frontlines in Israel to provide the urgent aid needed, and to help all innocent victims of this unconscionable level of human suffering.”
Comparatively, Prince William and Kate Middleton released a statement through a spokesperson that was much clearer.
It explicitly stated that the Prince and Princess of Wales “utterly condemn” the “horrors inflicted by Hamas’s terrorist attack upon Israel.” It even added that the Jewish state had a “right to self defense.”
Appeasing the ‘Woke Mob’
Both Callahan and Megyn agreed that “it’s really not that hard” to say the right thing in this situation. “It’s a low bar to clear to say, ‘I am against the murder of innocent civilians, women, children, the infirmed, the elderly. I am against home invasions by terrorists who are cowards or going after the most vulnerable,’” Callahan noted. “But it’s apparently too much of a flashpoint.”
Given Markle’s purported political aspirations, Megyn said this could have been a moment for her to take a stand. “They’re saying she wants to run for office. Okay, so take a position,” she said. “This is exactly the kind of thing on which a politician is going to have to take a position, but she won’t.”
The hesitancy, Megyn said, is because “they’re trying to appease their woke mob.” As she explained, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have aligned themselves with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. “There’s this ‘woke’ piece of the progressive wing that has been pro-Hamas,” Megyn concluded. “So, I can’t help but think she’s more in line with the BLM Chicago crew than she is with you and with me on this. Otherwise, it would be a no-brainer to put out a [stronger] statement.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Callahan by tuning in to episode 660 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.