MEGHAN Markle once called herself the “most trolled person in the entire world”.
Opening up emotionally in a 2020 podcast, she made it clear she felt overwhelmed by the sting of social media after joining the Royal Family.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have often hit out at the damaging impact of online trolling[/caption]
The charity’s chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka MBE, has been forced to shut down her Twitter account due to online abuse[/caption]
So now we have to ask: if Meghan truly understands the cruel impact of online abuse, why won’t she and Prince Harry condemn the disgraceful behaviour of their so-called ‘Sussex Squad’ supporters who have repeatedly stirred up unforgivable chaos?
This question hangs heavier than ever amid the bitter fallout at Sentebale, the charity Harry co-founded in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
It was supposed to honour his late mother, Princess Diana, by helping young people with HIV in southern Africa.
But the saga erupted last week when the Duke of Sussex resigned as patron alongside Seeiso and the entire board of trustees.
Dr Sophie Chandauka MBE, the charity’s chair, fired back, accusing Harry of “harassment and bullying at scale”.
She claims he tried to push her out for months, even briefing against her to donors – all because she refused to defend Meghan publicly.
Harry’s camp calls her claims “baseless” and says he’s “heartbroken” over the split.
But, as The Sun revealed, the backlash against Dr Chandauka has hit hard, forcing her to shut down her Twitter after shameful trolling from Sussex fans – including vile racist slurs and wild conspiracy theories that she is being paid by William and Kate.
This mess echoes two other cases, for differing reasons.
First, Harry’s acceptance of the Pat Tillman Award last May for his veterans work, which similarly turned into a publicity nightmare in philanthropic circles.
The Duke was seen as too “controversial and divisive” to reflect well on the award – a view even echoed by Pat Tillman’s mother, who called him an unfit choice to represent her son’s memory.
The second case is the shameful gossip mill that ramped up around the Princess of Wales’s mysterious disappearance from public duties two months earlier.
Before Kate’s cancer diagnosis was revealed in March 2024, social media swirled with cruel rumours about her absence – amplified by certain Sussex fans who speculated about her and William’s personal life.
Of course, there is no suggestion this sad group of trolls are endorsed by The Sussexes.
But with Dr Chandauka now being driven off social media by diehard supporters, the silence from Harry and Meghan’s camp dents their credibility.
Harry’s acceptance of the Pat Tillman award quickly turned into a nightmare[/caption]
The mother of slain veteran Pat Tillman called Harry an unfit choice to represent her son’s memory[/caption]
‘Sussex Squad’ trolls previously spread rumours around Kate before she revealed her cancer diagnosis[/caption]
Meghan has long been vocal about social media’s downsides.
She called it “toxic” at an event in Texas last year, calling for more humanity online. She sounded earnest, but where is her consistency and follow-through?
If it’s such a big deal, why not call out the acidic, contrived tales spouted by her most extreme supporters?
Harry and Meghan’s “squad” is known for its intensity – hitting critics with fierce posts, unrelentingly attacking the dutiful working members of the Royal Family as the enemy.
Again, early this year, some spread more vile rumours about Kate’s recovery. Again, shamefully, the couple said nothing.
Selfish hypocrisy
There is no doubt that Meghan has faced real ugliness – racism, threats, the lot.
So, if she’s been there, why not push back when her fans turn it on others?
Certainly, they can’t control every fan – social media is in many ways the modern Wild West.
But a simple “cease and desist” statement could show they mean what they preach.
Their silence leaves the public guessing, with some naturally – and, you would hope, mistakenly – concluding it’s a green light.
Meghan’s “unsurvivable” line once won her sympathy, but now?
If the Sussexes cared a jot about their public duty rather than their egos, they would urge these deluded supporters to back off and act civilly.
Especially when, ironically, they’ve tried to build a brand on compassion.
