NELSON Mandela’s grandson has slammed Meghan Markle for comparing herself to the freedom fighter.
The Duchess of Sussex made the comparison in a toe-curling interview discussing her life with Harry and their kids beyond the Royal Family.
Meghan Markle said she has been compared to South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela in a toe-curling magazine interview
Nelson Mandela, left, with his grandson Chief Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela
Meghan said a cast member from South Africa told her they had celebrated when she tied the knot with Prince Harry.
She revealed: “He said, ‘I just need you to know: When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison.’ ”
But now Zwelivelile ‘Mandla’ Mandela has slammed the “surprising” comment.
Speaking to MailOnline, he said: “Madiba’s celebration was based on overcoming 350 years of colonialism with 60 years of a brutal apartheid regime in South Africa.
“So It cannot be equated to as the same.”
Mandela was the hero of the apartheid struggle who almost single-handedly laid the foundations of a free South Africa.
He spent 26 years in jail and then became the nation’s first black president, won the Noble Peace Prize and is one of the most revered figures of the 20th century.
The African National Congress MP added: “We are still bearing scars of the past. But they were (Mr Mandela’s celebrations) a product of the majority of our people being brought out onto the streets to exercise the right of voting for the first time.”
Last night Sun columnist Piers Morgan slammed Meghan’s comments.
He said: “Even by Markle standards, this is a revoltingly self- aggrandising, disingenuous and hypocritical load of royal-bashing tosh.
“The Mandela anecdote alone had me gagging.
“How dare she use her title to keep trashing the institution that gave it to her? Shameless and shameful.”
It comes as Meghan was also blasted for apparently suggesting the British press called her children the n-word.
Meghan told The Cut’s Allison Davis she resented allowing pictures of Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, to be circulated to the media.
The article then goes on to imply her reasoning is down to racist language – appearing to suggest the press had used the n-word to refer to her children.
Meghan explained: “There’s literally a structure by which if you want to release photos of your child, as a member of the family, you first have to give them to the Royal Rota.
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“Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the n-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child?”
It’s unclear who Meghan was referring to when she said “people”.
