Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Expert Calls Queen Most Influential Royal, Meghan Markle Most Inspirational Royal

    She compared Meghan’s popularity to that of the late Princess Diana.

    By Marie Claire Editors
    Published 20 February 2022 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Meghan Markle
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

     

    The Queen still holds the title of most influential royal, but it’s Meghan Markle that’s the most inspirational, according to lawyer and activist Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu in an exclusive chat with The Daily Express.

    “I don’t think Meghan is a past royal,” she said. “She’s still royal, as she’s married to the Duke of Sussex, who is the grandson of the Queen so she is absolutely still royal. Is she inspiring? I think so. Let me break it down this way. I think some of Meghan’s inspiration comes from her and how she’s handled all this. Clearly, she got to a point where she was like ‘Forget you all, I deserve better than this.’ But most so is the reaction she has been able to generate from people who would not normally talk about these things. Black and brown women are standing together in solidarity with Meghan because the same things happen to us. It’s on a larger scale for Meghan because she’s got the global eye amplified to her. But what they are doing to her is what they do to us, too.”

    Dr. Shola compared Meghan’s popularity to that of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, saying “I think that she’s been able to generate the kind of support that no other member of the Royal Family, bar Princess Diana, has been able to generate. She’s also been able to relate to members of society from a place of people who were not born rich, went to school, and worked hard. Meghan was an independent woman and a millionaire before she met Harry. Therefore, they weren’t giving her anything that she didn’t already have. So I would definitely say that Meghan, in 2022, is the most inspirational royal.”

    While the most influential royal title goes to the Queen, Dr. Shola said, it’s Meghan that takes the inspirational title right down to inspiring her husband, Prince Harry.

    You may like
    • Kate Middleton wears a dark red coat and matching hat while Meghan Markle wears a navy coat and matching hat One Royal "Brought Star Power" to the Royal Family
    • old photo of princess diana One Royal Was Expected to Step Into Princess Diana’s Shoes, Says Royal Author
    • Kate Middleton wears a giant straw hat and a green dress to attend Wimbledon in July 2026 Princess Kate "Melds More Easily" to Royal Life

    “I think Harry probably wanted to do more and wanted more flexibility,” she said. “Meghan being in his life gave him the wings he needed to fly.”

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Explore More
    Queen Elizabeth II Prince Harry Meghan Markle Diana
    Marie Claire Editors

    Marie Claire is committed to celebrating the richness and scope of women's lives. We're known for our award-winning features, thoughtful essays and op-eds, deep commitment to sustainable fashion, and buzzy interviews and reviews. Reaching millions of women every month, MarieClaire.com is an internationally-recognized destination for celebrity news, fashion trends, beauty recommendations, and renowned investigative packages.

    Read more
    A large group of members of the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping the Colour 2019
    Royals This Royal's Image Rehabilitation Has Become "One of the Greatest PR Campaigns"
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Kate Middleton has long wavy brown hair and wears a black polo neck sweater with a brown blazer
    Royals One Royal Has Become "Very Close" to Princess Kate
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Meghan Markle wearing butterfly earrings
    Royals Meghan Markle Is Giving Princess Diana's Jewelry a New Life in Britain
    By Kristin Contino
    Meghan Markle holding Prince Harry#039;s arm wearing LA Dodgers hats
    Royals Meghan Markle “Is Taking One for the Team” For Prince Harry By Moving to Britain
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Princess Lilibet, Prince Archie and Prince Harry walking through grass at Althorp
    Royals Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Are Changing Schools After Just 2 Days
    Princess Anne wearing a coat and paisley scarf
    Royals Princess Anne Gets a "Round of A-Paws" from Sheep Dogs in Timeless Paisley Look
     
     
    Meghan Markle wearing a blue striped shirt
    Royals Meghan Markle Transforms Her Wardrobe from California to Cotswolds
    Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) and Prince Charles at Victoria Station, London, where they will welcome a state delegation from Nigeria, March 1989.
    Royals Why Queen Elizabeth "Was Furious" With Princess Diana
     
     
    Latest in News
    collage of celebrities wearing the red-and-purple color combination trend for The A-List Edit
    Celebrity Style The Shockingly Chic Color Combo That's Taking Over the Runways and My FYP
    Princess Lilibet, Prince Archie and Prince Harry walking through grass at Althorp
    Royals Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Are Changing Schools After Just 2 Days
     
     
    Bella Hadid arrived at New York Fashion Week in a patchwork Coach bag and Ugg boots
    Celebrity Style Bella Hadid Returns to NYC With a Coachtopia It Bag and VIP-Beloved Ugg Boots
    Katie Holmes wore a white crewneck sweater, black trousers, and leather loafers at the 2026 US Open
    Celebrity Style Katie Holmes Styles This Editor-Endorsed NYFW Uniform at the 2026 US Open
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.