It has been revealed that the Duchess of Sussex was asked to attend a bipartisan dinner, where the 21 women senators will be invited.
Meghan Markle (40), is currently living in her $14million California mansion after she stepped down from royal duty last January. She has been intensifying her political activism in the recent weeks.
The Duchess on October 20 wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer advocating for paid family leave – a letter that was handed out to several media outlets.
On Wednesday Politico reported that she had – following a conversation with Kirsten Gillibrand, senator for New York – taken her lobbying a step further and picked up the phone to speak with Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Maine and Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia.
Gillibrand has now told The 19th she plans to invite Meghan to a bipartisan dinner she is hosting in the coming month with all the women senators to give her a platform to discuss paid leave.
The Duchess has been invited to a bipartisan dinner where all female senators are invited.
She said, “I could hear how sincere her advocacy was.”
She revealed that Senator Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska told her she was ‘delighted and looking ahead to that conversation’.
Earlier this week, it emerged Meghan had called two Republican senators on their private numbers and used her royal title to urge them to vote in favor of paid parental leave – shocking the politicians with her latest foray into political activism.
Senator Gillibrand stated that this is only the beginning of the mother-of-two from Los Angeles. She hopes to be a part of a ‘working group to work on long-term paid leave’.
Gillibrand told The 19th that Meghan will be invited to a bipartisan dinner she hosts in the next month with all the women senators. This will give her an opportunity to discuss paid family leave.
She called Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia) and Collins (Maine) said that Markle called them both.
Collins stated, “I was happy that I could talk with her. But, I’m more interested to hear what people in Maine have to say about paid leave.”
Gillibrand, one the most vocal campaigners in senate for paid paternal leave, gave the Duchess the numbers for Susan Collins, senator from Maine, and Shelley Moore Capito (senator for West Virginia).
Moore Capito said that she expected Joe Manchin to call, the other senator from West Virginia. Manchin, a moderate Democrat who has been pushing for Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill and negotiating concessions with progressives, has been calling the shots. Moore Capito, a moderate Republican, has tried to persuade him to agree.
She told Politico: ‘I’m in my car. I’m driving. It says that caller ID has been blocked. Since Senator Manchin is calling, it seems that the caller ID was blocked.
“Sen. Capito?” I said “Yes.” She replied, “This Meghan, the Duchess Sussex.”
Kamala Harris hosted an intimate dinner for senators earlier in the year. After the meal, the group shared images.
Moore Capito stated that she couldn’t understand how Moore Capito got her number.
Collins claimed that she was also called the 40-year old.
She was amused that Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, was using her British title for lobbying U.S. senators after she had resigned from the royals in 2020.
Collins stated, “Much surprise to my delight, she called my private line number and introduced herself as Duchess Sussex.”
She told Politico that she was happy to speak with her, but that she is more interested in hearing what Maineans have to say about paid time off.
Collins later told The New York Times: ‘She just weighed in that she thought paid leave was really important, and I told her there were a lot of different approaches, and people were working on it.’
Biden had initially hoped to push through plans for a 12-week paid family and medical leave program, costing $500 billion over 10 years.
The benefit dropped from 12 to four week’s to $3.5 trillion as Manchin and Kyrsten Silena, moderate Democrats, agreed to reduce the legislation to less than $2 trillion.
Gillibrand claimed Wednesday that she gave Markle senators’ numbers. But it wasn’t the end.
Shelley Moore Capito (a Republican senator for West Virginia) told Politico Wednesday that she was shocked by Markle’s call.
Markle also called Susan Collins (Republican senator for Maine), She said, “I told her there were many different approaches, and people were still working on it.”
Gillibrand stated that she spoke to each of the female senators and let them all know that Gillibrand was going to reach out to them because she had only completed two calls.
“She’s going on to call some other people, so I let her know in advance.”
Gillibrand added: ‘She wants to be part of a working group to work on paid leave long term and she’s going to be.
“Whether this comes to fruition today or later, she’ll join a group of women who hopefully will work together on paid leave.”
Gillibrand, a Democrat senator from New York, claimed that she gave Moore Capito and Collins’ phone numbers to Markle. Gillibrand is a vocal advocate for paid parental leave.
Markle’s latest intervention stokes speculation that she may see herself in a political role in the future, much like her heroines Angelina Jolie & Amal Clooney.
Many speculate that she might be considering running for political office, even the presidency, according wild internet hype.
Markle wrote to her October 20th letter: “I am not an elected official and I’m certainly not a politician.”
“I am writing to you at this very important time – as mom – to advocate paid leave.
Pelosi and Schumer were asked to read the extraordinary 1,030-word-long letter and consider her plea ‘on my behalf of my family Archie and Lili and Harry’.
Markle, pictured with Prince Harry and her firstborn Archie, made a rare political declaration on Wednesday
The duchess described humble beginnings, stating that her family struggled when her was young. This despite her well documented middle class upbringing in private primary and secondary schools where she received her Emmy-winning father’s $200,000-a year salary as a lighting director.
And she now lives in a $14million sprawling mansion in Montecito, California, complete with designer touches. She has also signed lucrative deals to Spotify and Netflix, which are worth well over $150 million.
Markle wrote that he grew up eating Sizzler’s $4.99 salad bars.
“I knew how hard my parents worked in order to afford this because, even at five dollars, eating out was something special and I felt fortunate. I began working at the local frozen yogurt shop when I was 13.
Markle stated that she waited tables, babysat, as well as juggled jobs to make ends meet.
However, she failed to mention the $750,000 California state lottery win her father scooped in 1990, which funded her secondary education at $9,412-a-semester Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles.
Meghan also attended a private primary school, Hollywood’s Little Red Schoolhouse nursery. This was her first school since she was two years old.
The primary school is now priced between $20,000 and $28,300 per-year and was paid for entirely by the taxpayers.Her father Thomas and her airline pilot mother Doria were paid their salaries.
She went on to study at Northwestern, a college in Illinois, that would have cost $24,000-$28,000-a-year for tuition when Meghan studied there from 1999-2003.
The duchess, however, described her work at 13 years old and worked several jobs ‘to cover odds’. She also wrote that saving money was a luxuary in her family’s life.
“I worked my whole life and saved whenever and wherever I could. But even that was a luxury. It was all about making ends meets and having enough money to pay my rent, and my car gas.
“I expect many constituents to have their version of that story,” she continued.
Meghan grew up in humble homes, but she received a private education from kindergarten through high school. From the age 11 to 18, Meghan attended Immaculate Heart High School, located on Franklin Ave. in Los Angeles.
She attended a prestigious private kindergarten and nursery school called Little Red Schoolhouse. It cost $18,800 per year for kindergarten.
In her letter, Meghan acknowledged that she has not suffered the same struggles as many parents who don’t have paid leave.
She stated, “In June my husband and me welcomed our second child,”
We were happy, just like any parent. We were overwhelmed like many parents. We were overwhelmed like many parents.
After the birth in June of their daughter Lilibet, Meghan & Harry were able four months of family leave. They then went back to work in September.
After having Archie in 2019, the duchess was able to take some time off, staying at home for four more months before returning to work.
According to reports, the couple also employed nannies in the UK to care for their children. They fired many of them after Archie was born in 2019.
The duchess went on explaining her humble beginnings. She stated, “I grew-up on the $4.99 salad bar at Sizzler,”
Meghan then attacked the American economy.
“Many of our economic systems have reached their end date and, as you know, too many Americans are left behind when it comes down to what is important to them.”
A Meghan spokesperson said that Meghan cares deeply about families around the world and advocates for them in the US. She had also partnered with three campaign organisations on the issue.
She followed up the letter by making a October 30 donation at Paid Leave US, an activist organization.
Neil Sroka was the director of communications at the group. TwitterTo write: “The Duchess Of Sussex (aka #MeghanMarkle), bought @PaidLeaveUS a few coffees while we were working overtime to #SavePaidLeave.
Markle, pictured at her home in California, was hailed ‘classy’ after buying coffee for employees working overtime to campaign for paid family and medical leave in the US after writing to politicians pleading for it to be made a ‘national right’
The Duchess gave a $25 Starbucks voucher to PL+US workers through her non-profit Archewell.
“Unbelievably classy… and essential.” It is truly a blessing to know that she is there for us in the fight to win.
The online reaction to the gesture was mixed. Some people said that small acts of kindness can make a big difference, while others called it “pitiful” and suggested that the act could be a publicity stunt.
They encouraged people to vote as the November 2020 election approached. Harry, however, shocked many by admitting he hadn’t voted before.
A slice of happy family: Meghan, 12, eats a cake at Donovan’s 1993 birthday party.
Meghan celebrating her 11th birthday in 1992 with her mother Doria. Photos taken by her uncle Joseph Johnson
Harry had met Markle before she was a UN advocate for gender equality. Markle was more open about her views.
“Every four years, the same thing is repeated: “This election is the most important of our lives.” She said that this election was the most important in her life, as she told Time magazine before the election.
“When we vote our values are put into practice and our voices are heard.”
Gloria Steinem, feminist icon and activist, was hosted at her Montecito residence for a conversation filmed in collaboration with Makers Media Company. Makers is a media company that aims to “accelerating the women’s movement through stories from real-life experiences.”
Markle and Steinem spoke out about the importance of voting and encouraged a more open discussion about issues of race, power, and class.
Markle has returned to politics in recent months, visiting New York in Sept and attending meetings at U.N. before speaking at Global Citizen Live, an annual festival of activism in Central Park.
Markle (left), joined Gloria Steinem in a ‘backyard conversation’ before the election.
She is set to appear on November 9 at an online conference organized by the New York Times to discuss ‘women reaching economic and professional parity.’
The mother-of-2 will be present in a half hour session called “Minding the Gap” alongside Mellody Hobson is Co-C.E.O. Mellody Hobson, Co-C.E.O., President, Ariel Investments and the chairwoman at Starbucks Corporation.
The session is promoted by the idea of “two pioneering figures” who will share and discuss their views.
“How can women achieve economic and professional parity?” The blurb states that two pioneering figures will join us to discuss top down solutions and reflect on their shared experiences in creating opportunities for others.