The royal family has to toe a fine line when sharing their opinions. Queen Elizabeth is the head of state, so she "has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters," according to the official royal website. She can, in theory, vote, but traditionally monarchs do not. As extensions of the Queen, the royal family also abstains from political discussions and voting.
For some members of the royal family, that just doesn't work. The lines between social and political issues have been blurrier than ever in the past 20 years. Sometimes, passionate members will speak out. It may get them in hot water with the Firm for breaking tradition, but the urge is too great to bear.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent interest in getting involved with Black Lives Matter would be the first political move they've made since stepping back as senior royals. They're far from the first, however. Here are some of the times that the royal family got political.
Prince Philip's Politics
Prince Philip's mouth has gotten him in trouble quite a few times over the years, but one of the first times he stepped out of line wasn't exactly his fault. During his engagement to then-Princess Elizabeth, his uncle Lord Mountbatten revealed his nephew's political stance to journalist Tom Driberg, according to Philip Eade's 2011 biography, Young Prince Philip: His Turbulent Early Life.
Once it was revealed that Philip was much more left-leaning than his in-laws-to-be, he had to smooth things over. He apologized about the political talk to Elizabeth in a December 1946 letter, asking for her forgiveness.
Princess Diana Takes On the AIDS Stigma
Princess Diana cut through misinformation on how HIV and AIDS were transmitted with one simple gesture. She shook hands with an AIDS patient without wearing gloves to show that she was not afraid of contracting it through skin-to-skin contact, as some misinformation suggested.
"She knew that AIDS was one of the things that many wanted to ignore and seemed like a hopeless challenge. She knew that the misunderstanding of this relatively new disease was creating a dangerous situation when mixed with homophobia," Prince Harry said of his mother in a 2017 speech at the Attitude Magazine Awards.
"So when, that April, she took the hand of a 32-year-old man with HIV, in front of the cameras, she knew exactly what she was doing. She was using her position as Princess of Wales — the most famous woman in the world — to challenge everyone to educate themselves, to find their compassion, and to reach out to those who need help instead of pushing them away."
Princess Diana's Secret Night on the Town
Diana definitely broke with royal protocol when she snuck out to a gay bar with Freddie Mercury, Kenny Everett, and Cleo Rocos for a boozy afternoon. Diana reportedly dressed in Kenny's clothes. The four drank champagne and traded their best Golden Girls impressions, according to Cleo. To indulge in a normal afternoon of fun with friends may seem small, but in the royal family, that's a considerable statement.
Queen Elizabeth's Scotland Comments
Queen Elizabeth quietly commented on the 2014 Scottish referendum. Speaking on her Balmoral estate in Scotland, she said, "Well, I hope people will think very carefully about the future."
Later, Prime Minister David Cameron made a remark insinuating the Queen had influenced the result, forcing him to apologize publicly.
Meghan's Fight for Gender Equality
Meghan first spoke out about gender equality on a Nickelodeon special at 11 years old. She recalled the story during a 2015 speech at the UN Women conference. Women's issues were considered one of her patronage focuses during her time as a senior royal.
Prince Charles' 'Black Spider Memos'
In 2015, it was revealed that Prince Charles had written a number of letters and memos to British government ministers and politicians over the years. Critics were concerned that the letters represented the exercise of undue influence over British government ministers from the heir apparent to the throne. Although ultimately determined to be harmless, concerns that Prince Charles will be able to keep his political opinions to himself as king still linger.
Queen Elizabeth Alludes to Brexit
Many believe the Queen subtly shared her opinions on Brexit during a January 2019 event for the Women's Institute.
"Of course, every generation faces fresh challenges and opportunities. As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture. To me, these approaches are timeless, and I commend them to everyone," the Queen said in her speech.
Prince William Supports the LGBTQ Community
Although there's nothing that particularly prevents royals from speaking on social issues, you can expect them to steer clear of controversial matters. Prince William took a risk when he vocalized his support for the LGBTQ community, considering homosexual activity is still a criminal offense in 35 of the 53 Commonwealth nations and is legal in only 18.
In June 2019, while speaking at the Albert Kennedy Trust, which supports LGBTQ young people who are at risk of homelessness, William said he'd support any of his own children if they came out.
Meghan Gets Vocal About #MeToo
While speaking on a panel with Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate Middleton for the Royal Foundation, Meghan touched on her feelings about the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements.
"Women don't need to find a voice. They have a voice," Meghan said.
"They need to feel empowered to use it, and people need to be encouraged to listen. We're seeing so many campaigns — #MeToo, and Time's Up. There is no better time than to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them, men included in that. It makes such a tremendous difference."
Prince Harry's Prank Call
As Prince Harry was preparing to step back as a senior royal, a prank call meant to embarrass him was leaked. Harry believed he was speaking with Greta Thunberg and her father. Harry is pretty casual in the conversation.
He shared his feelings on US President Donald Trump, noting, "The mere fact that Donald Trump is pushing the coal industry so big in America, he has blood on his hands." Critics slammed him for making the candid comment.
