Why Prince Charles' Unexpected New Gig Has Meghan Markle Fans Upset

As Queen Elizabeth deals with ongoing mobility issues, Prince Charles is stepping up to fulfill some of his mother's duties. In May 2022, he gave the queen's speech at the State Opening of Parliament, marking only the third time Her Majesty has missed this important event during her 70-year reign, according to ABC News. 

And, due to Charles' daily visits with the queen while they're both at Balmoral, there is speculation that the Prince of Wales will be the one to appoint the incoming British prime minister in September. 

While expanding his royal duties, Charles still finds time to pursue some surprising hobbies, including painting. He also supports a number of charities and is said to be the patron or president of about 400 organizations, including the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. In fact, many of Charles' pet organizations involve art, music, and theater, per his royal website. 

Even with his busy schedule, he took on the task of guest-editing the 40th-anniversary issue of The Voice, Britain's only Black newspaper. "Over the last four decades, with all the enormous changes that they have witnessed, Britain's only surviving black newspaper has become an institution and a crucial part of the fabric of our society," Charles said in a statement, per Deadline.

But, while the prince said he was "touched" to be asked to do the job, some fans of Meghan Markle aren't happy.

Some fans of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, aren't happy that Prince Charles was asked to guest-edit an issue of The Voice, the UK's only Black newspaper. Markle has been open about her struggles after marrying Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, revealing that someone in the royal family had concerns about her son, Archie's, skin color when she was pregnant. There was speculation that the Prince of Wales was that person. 

"The same way people remembered what he did to Diana ... the same way people of color will always [remember] what Charles and his heir did to Prince Harry, his wife, and children, especially Archie," one person wrote on Twitter. "Charles is doing [a] PR stunt to win over the Commonwealth and people of color in the UK to make himself [look] good," posted another.

But the paper's editor-in-chief defended the decision. "Our readers may be surprised at the parallels between the issues which 'The Voice' has campaigned on for four decades and the work the Prince of Wales has been involved in over the same period, often behind the scenes," Lester Holloway said. "In past decades these causes were once scorned and ridiculed, but today they are widely acknowledged."

The issue also features an interview with actor Idris Elba, who credits a grant he received as a teen from the Prince's Trust with helping him pursue his career.