Maren Morris is coming to the defense of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex following the release of the Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan.”
Morris, who has not yet watched the series that drew criticism even before its Dec. 8 release, shared a two-minute long video on TikTok, addressing the “profound hatred and annoyance” toward the former Meghan Markle, which she noted appeared to come mostly from other women.
“It’s unfathomable to me because people are saying, ‘Oh a woman should never take a man away from his family. That’s all that this is,’” Morris said, before adding, “Have you seen this family?”
The country star referenced several historical instances in the royal family, including when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in December 1936 less than a year after the death of his father in order to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was twice divorced.
Morris then mentioned the story of Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend, who were engaged but ultimately did not wed. Their pending nuptials were met with objections from the Church of England and Parliament, as Townsend had been divorced. Margaret was eventually granted permission to marry him; however, in doing so, she would have had to give up her position and status as a member of the royal family and its benefits. Instead of moving forward with the wedding, the couple broke up.
“Now, I don’t know these people, and neither do you, but I do have a moderate fascination with the monarchy and the royals,” Morris said. “I don’t understand this very specific hatred to Meghan herself. I just don’t. I never have.”
Morris continued, adding, “I never have been nor will be royal or have that kind of duty thrust upon me from birth, but this all feels very pointed at one woman, as it mostly always has in history.”
On Dec. 8, the first three episodes of the six-part docuseries, which was co-created by Harry and Meghan’s production company, Archewell Productions, were released on Netflix. The first volume of episodes covered the couple’s childhood years, in addition to the early days of their relationship, including how they first met on Instagram.
In the docuseries, Harry at one point compared Meghan to his late mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in Paris in 1997. He said of his wife, “She has the same compassion, the same empathy, she has the same confidence, she has this warmth about her.”
Meghan also reflected on her own experience spending time with the royal family, including meeting her future brother-in-law and sister-in-law, the Prince and Princess of Wales, for the first time. Meghan called the “formality” of the royal family both in public and in private “surprising.” She also shared the reasoning behind her muted color palette when it came to the clothes that she wore when she was attending events with the royal family, stating it was so she could “blend in.”
Since the release of the docuseries, critics in the media and online have claimed that Harry and Meghan’s decision to share details about their lives for all to watch seemed hypocritical given their decision to “step back” as senior members of the royal family in 2020.
A global press secretary for Harry and Meghan issued a statement to TODAY.com that clarified the decision made regarding their roles in the royal family and their call for privacy.
“Their statement announcing their decision to step back mentions nothing of privacy and reiterates their desire to continue their roles and public duties,” the statement said. “Any suggestion otherwise speaks to a key point of this series. They are choosing to share their story on their terms, and yet the tabloid media has created an entirely untrue narrative that permeates press coverage and public opinion. The facts are right in front of them.”