Hillary Clinton says Duchess Meghan's race is 'certainly part of' media's treatment of her
Hillary Clinton is not fond of the way the British media has treated Duchess Meghan of Sussex.
In an interview with The Sunday Times the former Secretary of State was asked about Prince Harry's decision to sue media outlets for their "relentless" and "malicious" coverage of his wife.
"I do want to say that the way she’s been treated is inexplicable," Clinton told the outlet.
The former presidential candidate was asked if she believed race was a factor in the media's portrayal.
"It’s certainly part of it... Well, I think if the explanation is that she’s biracial, then shame on everybody," Clinton said.
Chelsea Clinton, who was also interviewed, noted that the media's treatment of the former Meghan Markle is probably due to her advocacy work and willingness to break the mold of what a royal is expected to be like.
"She proudly had a career first and has a voice that she thankfully continues to use," Clinton said. " Anyone who has the temerity to break the mold of what has previously been established and expected often, unfortunately, receives criticism and bile that I don't understand. We've seen this pattern repeatedly."
Chelsea Clinton added that while she doesn't personally know Meghan, she respects her.
"I’m so grateful that she persists, and is unbowed, and is doing work she feels called to do," she said. "And isn’t willing to be bullied."
Earlier this month, Prince Harry issued an open letter denouncing the coverage of his wife.
"Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences – a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son," he wrote in a statement.
The royal, 35, continued: "I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long. To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in."
Harry compared the media treatment of Meghan to that of his late mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while evading paparazzi.
"My deepest fear is history repeating itself," he wrote. "I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces."
Contributing: Cydney Henderson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hillary Clinton says race is a part of media's coverage of Meghan Markle
