Meghan and Harry had a secret ‘introductory meeting’ with California Governor Newsom before the election

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are said to have held a secret ‘introductory meeting’ with California Governor Gavin Newsom in the run-up to the election, just weeks after former Royals ‘violated’ terms. of his ‘Megxit’ deal by getting into politics.

The Sussexes, who now live in the Golden State, participated in a one-hour virtual meeting with the Democratic governor on Oct. 19, according to a memo obtained by The Sun.

It is unclear what was discussed in the meeting with Newsom’s office and he told the outlet that he does not comment on “the content of the meetings between the governor and private parties or his staff.”

At the time, the presidential election was just two weeks away, and Newsom faced growing calls for a woman of color to replace then-California Senator Kamala Harris if she was elected vice president.

The alleged meeting between the former royals and the prominent politician came after Meghan and Harry were accused of ‘crossing the line’ in September in a Time 100 video where they told American voters to ‘reject hate speech, misinformation and negativity online ‘in’ the most important choice of our life. ‘

Members of the royal family are supposed to be politically neutral.

Meghan and Harry have retired as senior royals as of March 2020, but part of their agreement with Buckingham Palace was that “ everything they do will uphold Her Majesty’s values. ”

The memo seen by The Sun details a video conference from 3pm to 4pm ‘with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.’

The topic of the meeting was simply listed as ‘Introductory Meeting’ and the call was made from the governor’s mansion in Sacramento, the outlet reported.

Newsom, who once got a lot of tips for a future White House run, was facing calls at the time to choose a woman of color as a possible successor to Harris.

Some longtime state Democrats argued that if Harris took office in DC, or when Harris, the Senate would be left without black women.

At least two black representatives Barbara Lee and Karen Bass were in the running, but the governor later appointed California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, making him the first Hispanic senator.

News of the alleged secret meeting risks further escalating tensions between the Sussexes and Buckingham Palace after the couple sparked a dispute in September over their politically charged comments.

Meghan and Harry broke from the royal convention when they released a video message talking about Donald Trump.

In the video, which came in a Time 100 video to accompany the release of the 2020 list of the most influential people, Harry urged Americans to ‘reject hate speech’, while Meghan called it the ‘most important choice. of our life’.

“As we approach November, it is vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and negativity online,” Harry said, in a line that many observers saw as a blow to Trump.

‘When the bad outweighs the good, for many, whether we realize it or not, it erodes our capacity for compassion and our ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Because when a person buys negativity online, the effects are felt exponentially. It’s time to not just reflect, but act, ‘he said.

Meghan, who was born in California, encouraged viewers to vote by telling them it was the ‘most important’ choice.

“We are six weeks away from the elections and today is voter registration day,” he said.

Every four years, they tell us the same thing: ‘This is the most important choice of our life.

But this one is. When we vote, our values ​​are put into practice and our voices are heard ”.

The message was widely seen as an attack on Trump and support for Joe Biden, breaking with the centuries-old tradition of members of the royal family remaining politically neutral.

Buckingham Palace tried to distance itself from Harry’s comments by saying that “the duke is not an active member of the royal family” and that his comments were “made in a personal capacity”.

But Royal’s senior advisers said his comments had “violated” the terms of the “Megxit” deal they made with the Queen when they left royal life and moved across the pond.

‘The [royal] The whole family wring their hands, thinking: where is this going and does the deal to uphold the Queen’s values? The feeling is that this is a violation of the agreement, ” a source told The Sunday Times.

Royal sources said the couple had “ crossed a line ” and embarrassed the queen, potentially creating problems for the monarch if Trump were elected to a second term.

“If Trump is re-elected and makes another visit here, what is the queen supposed to say when his grandson and his wife have effectively campaigned against him?” said a source.

Trump also responded to the couple for the comments saying that he was’ not a fan of hers’ and that he ‘wish[ed] good luck to Harry because he’s going to need it.

A spokesman for the Sussexes denied that his comments were politically charged.

“The Duke’s message does not refer to any specific political party or candidate, but is a call for decency in the way we relate to each other,” they said at the time.

Meghan voted early in the presidential election by mail, sources said in November.

Although he is no longer officially a member of royalty, he is the first person with such close ties to the monarchy to participate in American elections in modern history.

Since Harry is not a US citizen, he was unable to participate in the elections.

Meghan is also rumored to be reflecting on her own political career, even aiming for the highest job in the White House.

A source close to the couple told Vanity Fair last year that she was ‘seriously considering running for president’ if ‘they ever gave up their titles and that this was one of the reasons she’ was so willing not to resign. to his American citizenship. ‘

However, other informants have denied the claims saying that she “has no ambition” to enter politics as a career.