Jan Moir has criticised the Duchess of Sussex for using friends to speak out in her defence in an article published in People magazine this week. The article, which featured five anonymous close friends of Meghan Markle, aimed to 'tackle the lies' told about her and confront what they called 'global bullying'.
Moir suggests that the Duchess may have orchestrated the piece, writing that it is 'hard to imagine that they furnished these intimate details without her explicit approval and blessing'. She argues that such a PR move shows how desperate Meghan must be and that she did not understand what marrying into the Royal Family meant.
The columnist also takes aim at the content of the friends' statements, which described Meghan as a 'diamond who is doing her duty', a selfless philanthropist, and a wonderful cook and hostess. Moir dismisses the rebuttals of negative stories about Meghan's relationship with her father and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as 'rot'.
Moir concludes that while hitting back may work for an actress promoting a film, it is a less successful strategy for a Duchess, as it 'serves only to undermine the Royal Factory and, ultimately, the Queen herself'. She advises Meghan to 'grin and bear it' to survive the narrative.
