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Meghan leaving the Royal Family was the British people's fault, documentary claims

Meghan Markle faced subtle racism and was cast as an “invader” by the British press and public, according to a documentary which charts her time as a senior royal.

Airing on the final day Prince Harry and Meghan work for the Crown, the programme explores how the duchess had to deal with being stereotyped and criticised throughout her time as a royal.

At one point, the British public is blamed for the duchess’s final exit from the Royal Family.

The documentary, which will air on Vice TV, brought together experts and activists and features interviews with palace insiders and experts including William and Harry’s former butler, the US wives of the British aristocracy, and royal correspondents.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 07: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrives with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex to Canada House in thanks for the warm Canadian hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada, on January 7, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS  - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Meghan was a victim of racism in the UK, activists and experts say. (Getty Images)

Professor Kehinde Andrews, who lectures in black studies at Birmingham City University, told Vice Meghan was portrayed as “aggressive” and “diva-ish” saying: “The angry black woman is a clear stereotype we see.”

His views were echoed by US comedian Kemah Bob, who lives in the UK and said: “The idea that just because people are not hanging nooses to a tree here, [racism] is not happening is wrong.”

Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, an equal rights activist, said: “If you can get away with that to a biracial member of the Royal Family, imagine what the rest of us are experiencing.”

Read more: Lecturer who clashed with Laurence Fox over Meghan says 'I've had to grow a pair'

Canadian columnist Stephen Marche lays the blame at the feet of Britons, saying: “The British public feels totally entitled to annihilate these people.”

The experts explore the comparative press coverage between Meghan and her sister-in-law Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, including headlines reporting on each of their pregnancies.

The documentary charts the duchess’s rise from childhood activism, to using her voice as a successful actor to champion causes close to her heart.

It also tackles the struggles she faced inside the Royal Family, having to shut down her social media pages and blog, and change the way she spoke about issues she was passionate about.

Read more: Meghan Markle 'jumped ship' instead of fighting racism in UK, says lecturer

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex poses with school children making the 'Equality' sign following a school assembly during a visit to Robert Clack School in Dagenham to attend a special assembly ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD) held on Sunday 8th March, on March 6, 2020 in London, England.   (Photo by Ben Stansall-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Meghan during one of her last engagements in the UK. (Getty Images)

Grant Harrold, former butler to Meghan’s husband Harry, said: “To be a member of the Royal Family you have got to change everything, your lifestyle, to a degree your personality.

“Your life is pre-planned – she cannot just turn to a friend and say to go for lunch tomorrow, as a royal that is gone.”

Omid Scobie, royal editor at Harper’s Bazaar, added: “I remember speaking to her friends who said we don’t really hear her voice anymore.”

He later adds of other Royal Family members: “They should have been defending her, that silence spoke volumes.”

Read more: 'You may not see us here': Harry and Meghan share final Instagram post from royal account

TOPSHOT - Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (R), and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose for a photo with their newborn baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London on May 8, 2019. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski / POOL / AFP)        (Photo credit should read DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
The family will now live in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)

The documentary was filmed before the Sussexes chose Los Angeles as their new home, making a last minute dash over the border from Canada before it closed to tourists to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

They shared their final post on their Sussex Royal Instagram on Monday evening, ahead of their last day, urging their followers to look out for one another, as they explained they would be going quiet on social media for a while.

Meghan Markle: Escaping the Crown airs on Vice TV, 31 March at 9pm (BST).

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