Did Meghan Markle and Prince Harry 'violate' Megxit deal by getting involved in US politics?

A new report has emerged that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who resigned as senior British royals in March last year, violated the terms of their exit deal with the British monarchy by getting involved in US politics.

The Duke and the Duchess of Sussex actively participated in US politics ahead of the presidential elections last year. While they didn't openly support any party in the elections, their comments were widely regarded as a thinly-veiled dig at then-POTUS Donald Trump.

"We're six weeks out from the election, and today is Voter Registration Day. Every four years, we're told the same thing, 'This is the most important election of our lifetime.' But this one is. When we vote, our values are put into action, and our voices are heard," Meghan had said in a Time 100 video released in September to mark the publication of the 2020 list of the most influential people. In the same interview, Harry said: "As we approach this November, it's vital we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity."

This was unprecedented as members of the royal family are supposed to be politically neutral. While they officially quit as senior royals effective March 2020, they had made an agreement with Buckingham Palace that "everything they do will uphold the values of Her Majesty."

However, a new report has claimed that encouraging US voters were not the only part Harry and Meghan played in the last elections. According to a memo obtained by The Sun, the couple held a secret "introductory" meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom just weeks ahead of the polls last year.

The virtual meeting was held from 3 pm to 4 pm on October 19, but it remains unknown what the group discussed. Newsom's office refused to comment on "the content of meetings between the Governor and private parties or his staff."

The alleged meeting took place at a time when Newsom was under pressure to pick a woman of colour as then-California Senator Kamala Harris's prospective successor if she was elected vice-president. He chose Alex Padilla instead, making him the first Hispanic senator of California.