Meghan Markle’s close friend, Bryony Gordon, has criticised what she calls the “ridiculous double standards” in the way she believes the Duchess of Sussex has been treated, in comparison to other members of the Royal Family.
Gordon recounted her first encounter with Meghan at a Royal Foundation event in 2018, where she was chairing a panel for Heads Together, the mental health initiative supported by the young royals.
She described being warmly greeted by Meghan, who gave her a “big old bear hug” that put her at ease in a room filled with royals and photographers.
“Meghan’s down-to-earth demeanour worked like a charm,” Gordon wrote, adding that it helped calm the nerves of the other guests, many of whom were charity workers attending their first royal engagement.
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Meghan Markle’s close friend questions ‘double standards in Royal Family’
Gordon revealed that since that initial meeting, she and Meghan have stayed in touch, sharing lunches, visiting charitable projects, and even spending time together at the Duchess’s homes in Frogmore Cottage and Montecito.
With each interaction, Gordon said, she has been left baffled by what she views as the harsh treatment Meghan received from the press and public, compared to others in the Royal Family.
Her comments come amid the serialisation of a new book by royal biographer Andrew Lownie, which makes a series of damaging claims about Prince Andrew’s alleged conduct over several decades.
Buckingham Palace and the Duke of York’s representatives have not commented on the allegations.
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Meghan Markle and Bryony Gordon hugging in 2018
Gordon wrote that she has been “gripped” by the extracts, and said they have left her increasingly angry.
Writing in the Mail, the journalist questioned how a woman who “occasionally emailed her staff at 5am” could be, in her view, so widely condemned, while a senior royal had been accused of far more serious misconduct.
The Duke of York, who stepped down as a senior member of the Royal Family in 2019, has always denied wrongdoing.
“Can you blame the couple for wanting to escape the peculiar prison of royal life?” Gordon asked.
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Bryony Gordon also met Prince Harry during that engagement
However, many supporters of the monarchy argue that the Royal Family has made considerable efforts in recent years to modernise and respond to public concerns.
Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages in 2022, following public pressure and a legal settlement—signalling the institution’s recognition of reputational risk.
Others also point out that working royals, including Princess Anne and King Charles, continue to carry out hundreds of engagements each year.
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Bryony Gordon pictured in June earlier this year
Queen Elizabeth II publicly supported the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s departure from royal life, issuing the following statement in January 2020: “Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family.
“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family. I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life.
“I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family. It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.”