Meghan Markle caused shock and surprise among individuals with her recent claim about a South African comparing her royal wedding to Nelson Mandela’s historic walk of freedom. Among them is the grandson of the anti-apartheid activist, Zwelivelile ‘Mandla’ Mandela, who said that the two events “cannot be equated to as the same.”
Speaking to MailOnline, the MP and Chief of the late South African President’s Mvezo tribe revealed that the Duchess of Sussex’s remarks “surprised” him. He noted, “Madiba’s celebration was based on overcoming 350 years of colonialism with 60 years of a brutal apartheid regime in South Africa.”
Mandela’s grandson continued that they are “still bearing scars of the past.” But, he said that the celebrations for the late South African leader were “a product of the majority of our people being brought out onto the streets to exercise the right of voting for the first time.”
Accordingly, for Zwelivelile ‘Mandla’ Mandela, Meghan Markle’s royal wedding to Prince Harry and the celebrations for Nelson Mandela in 1990 “cannot be equated to as the same.”
Elsewhere in the exchange, the former leader’s grandson asserted that when South Africans celebrated Mandela’s release, “it was for a far more important and serious reason than [the Duchess of Sussex’s] marriage ‘to a white prince.’”
The remark in question first surfaced on Monday after New York magazine’s “The Cut” published Meghan Markle’s interview for its cover feature.
At one point in the piece, the publication noted that the former “Suits” actress recalled a moment from the 2019 London premiere of “The Lion King.”
She said, “A cast member from South Africa pulled her aside. ‘He looked at me, and he’s just like light. He said, ‘I just need you to know: When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison.’”
The piece consequently pointed out, though, that “of course, [the Duchess of Sussex] knows she’s no Mandela.”
Meghan Markle has since received criticisms from different personalities and experts. Express UK reported that these individuals include the likes of Nile Gardiner and Angela Levin.
The former aide to Margaret Thatcher reportedly said that the former working royal’s “hubris is staggering.” As for the royal commentator, she tweeted: “Words fail me.”
The publication later recalled that Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist. He also became the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
In 1962, the late leader was sentenced to life imprisonment after his arrest for “conspiring to overthrow the state.” 27 years later, though, he was released following the “growing international and domestic pressure.”