“It is true that I feel terribly disappointed”: Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughter Denies Accusing Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Over Profiteering From Mandela’s Name
Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, activist Ndileka Mandela, decided to support Meghan Markle and Prince Harry amid the couple’s accusation of capitalizing using Nelson Mandela’s name. The activist previously told an Australian outlet that she feels unhappy that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex used Nelson Mandela’s name to promote their documentary, Harry and Meghan.
However, Ndileka Mandela explained that she was misquoted as she never “criticized” the couple for profiteering off her grandfather’s name and she even admires them for calling out the royal family. Prince Harry revealed that the documentary was inspired by Nelson Mandela and done in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, Ndileka Mandela, talked about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s documentary
Last month, Prince Harry revealed that his Netflix documentary, Harry and Meghan, was inspired by Nelson Mandela and was made in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, activist Ndileka Mandela, then gave her opinion on the documentary. Even though she admires Prince Harry for “having the confidence to break away” from the royal family, she still felt disappointed as people “have used his legacy because they know his name sells—Harry and Meghan are no different from them.”
The activist further explained that the royal “needs to be authentic and stick to his own story. What relevance does grandad’s life have with his?” She explained that she has made peace with people using Nelson Mandela’s name, but it is still deeply upsetting and tedious for her every time it happens.
Ndileka Mandela retracted her statements
After Ndileka Mandela’s went viral on social media, several media outlets claimed that the activist criticized Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for using Nelson Mandela’s name to promote their documentary. The activist, however, recently cleared it out and explained that she was misquoted. She said,
“I had never accused Harry and Meghan of doing this. Instead, I was misquoted, leading to global news coverage that weaponized my name – and the name of my grandfather. It is true that I feel terribly disappointed whenever the Mandela name or face is used for commercial purposes without any benefit to the vision he stood for. But what’s ironic is that one of the biggest examples of this happening was not carried out by Harry and Meghan at all – but carried out by their critics, who falsely exploited my grandfather’s name to attack them.”
The activist further added that she celebrates the inspiration that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex take from her grandfather’s legacy for their social activism.
Ndileka Mandela criticized Meghan Markle for a tone-deaf comparison
Last month, Ndileka Mandela criticized Meghan Markle for comments she made during an interview earlier this year. In the interview, she revealed that a South African cast member of The Lion King‘s London production told her that “the South Africans compared her 2018 wedding to Nelson Mandela’s release from jail.”
Ndileka Mandela said Nelson Mandela’s release was “the culmination of nearly 350 years of struggle in which generations of our people paid with their lives… That’s chalk and cheese—there is no comparison.”
Source: Independent
