Meghan Markle 'Racist' Tweet Lands Prince Harry Author in Hot Water

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A British royal commentator and biographer of Prince Harry has come under fire online over a tweet encouraging her followers to "look how white Meghan's skin colour looks," in a 2018 photograph.

Angela Levin, author of Harry: A Biography of a Prince and prominent critic of Meghan posted the tweet on Thursday, responding to the thumbnail of an article showing a photograph of the royals taken during a 2018 visit to Ireland.

Meghan Markle Critic 'Racist' Tweet Criticism
Meghan Markle photographed during an official visit to Ireland, July 10, 2018. And (inset) Twitter logo, 2022. Royal author Angela Levin has come under fire for a tweet made about Meghan's "skin color" in a... Geoff Pugh - WPA Pool/Getty Images/DENIS CHARLET/AFP via Getty Images

Twitter users were quick to call out Levin, who has a history of tweeting negatively about the Sussexes. She was vocal in opposing Meghan's claims that she had suffered racist abuse while a working member of the British royal family—both from inside and outside the institution of the monarchy.

Christopher Bouzy, founder of data analysis firm Bot Sentinel, previously researched Levin's links to anti-Meghan Twitter accounts. He told Newsweek: "Angela Levin's comments were racist and reprehensible, and her constant attacks aimed at the duchess helps to add fuel to the onslaught of abuse from online trolls."

On whether the posts violate Twitter's user guidelines or if the platform should take action, Bouzy reflected on the troubled tech firm's circumstances. It was taken over in October by billionaire Elon Musk, who has reinstated the accounts of controversial figures including former President Donald Trump.

"Twitter will not act, and they should've taken action for previous inflammatory tweets made by Angela, prior to Elon Musk acquiring Twitter," Bouzy said. "Unfortunately, Angela's tweets are not that far from what Elon is tweeting."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Ireland Visit
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry photographed at a British Ambassadorial reception during their first official visit to Ireland, July 10, 2018. Royal author Angela Levin tweeted about Meghan after seeing a photo from this Irish... Geoff Pugh - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Bouzy is not the only notable voice to take issue with the author's tweet. Tessy Ojo, chief executive officer of the Diana Award, with which Princes Harry and William are closely connected, voiced her frustration, calling the comment "atrocious."

"@angelalevin1 I'll never one to jump on a bandwagon as it goes against everything i believe, but this post is atrocious and beyond belief!" Ojo tweeted in response.

"Why on earth would you think it is acceptable to comment on the skin colour of a person? Have we sunk so low that nothing is sacred anymore?"

Ojo added: "Do you understand how many young people struggle with their identity? Last week we published stats showing over 50% of young people are bullied because of their appearance, impacting their mental health and yet, you think it's ok to comment on a biracial woman's skin colour!🙍‍♀️"

Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, author of This Is Why I Resist, also tweeted in response to Levin, saying: "Ooooh! Look how 'white' Angela Levin's racism is - its the Karengitis of the highest order.

"If she had the courage of her conviction she would boldly state the real point she's making about Meghan Markle's skin colour 'looking white'?" Mos-Shogbamimu added. "But nah she's a vile repugnant coward."

Since stepping down as a full-time working member of the royal family alongside Harry in 2020 and moving to the U.S, Meghan has spoken out about her experiences with racism in Britain—most notably during her landmark 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Speaking about the media's role in fueling racism, Meghan told Winfrey: "From the beginning of our relationship, they were so attacking and inciting so much racism... it wasn't just catty gossip. It was bringing out a part of people that was racist in how it was charged. And that changed the threat. That changed the level of death threats. That changed everything."

In August 2022, in an episode of her hit podcast Archetypes, during a discussion with pop singer Mariah Carey about her experiences as a "mixed" woman in the media spotlight, the duchess revealed she never felt that she was treated as "Black" until she developed a relationship with Harry.

"I think for us it's so different because we're light-skinned," she told Carey. "You're not treated as a Black woman, you're not treated as a white woman. You sort of fit in between.

"If there's any time in my life that it's been more focused on my race, it's only once I started dating my husband," Meghan added.

"Then I started to understand what it was like to be treated like a Black woman because, up until then, I had been treated like a mixed women. And things really shifted."

Newsweek approached Angela Levin and representatives of Meghan Markle and the Diana Award for comment.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.

About the writer

James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family and royal fashion. He has covered contemporary and historic issues facing King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. James joined Newsweek in 2022 having previously contributed to titles such as The Lady, Majesty Magazine and Drapers. He also spent a number of years working with the curatorial department at Historic Royal Palaces, based at Kensington Palace, and contributed to the exhibitions Fashion Rules: Restyled (2016) and Diana: Her Fashion Story (2017). He also undertook private research projects with the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. He is a graduate of University College London and Central Saint Martins, where he studied fashion history. Languages: English.

You can get in touch with James by emailing j.crawfordsmith@newsweek.com.

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Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles III, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—and hosts The Royal Report podcast. Jack joined Newsweek in 2020; he previously worked at The Sun, INS News and the Harrow Times. Jack has also appeared as a royal expert on CNN, MSNBC, Fox, ITV and commentated on King Charles III's coronation for Sky News. He reported on Prince Harry and Meghan's royal wedding from inside Windsor Castle. He graduated from the University of East Anglia. Languages: English. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page. You can get in touch with Jack by emailing j.royston@newsweek.com.


James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more