Will Meghan Markle ever run for office? What the Duchess had to say

Meghan Markle has no political aspirations. In her first-ever podcast interview, the Duchess of Sussex confirmed that she has no interest in pursuing a career in politics.

During her appearance on The Jamie Kern Lima Show, host Jamie asked the royal, “Would you ever run for office?”

“No,” Meghan revealed. 

“Never?” Jamie replied.

“No,” Meghan answered. “Never?” Jamie asked again.

“Never. Oh, God. I mean, you could say never, say never,” the Duchess said. “No, I’m not interested in that. No.”

Meghan made history in 2020, becoming the first modern member of the British royal family to vote in a presidential election. Months before the election, the American-born Duchess explained to Marie Claire why she planned on voting.

“I know what it’s like to have a voice, and also what it’s like to feel voiceless,” she said. “I also know that so many men and women have put their lives on the line for us to be heard. And that opportunity, that fundamental right, is in our ability to exercise our right to vote and to make all of our voices heard.”

“One of my favorite quotes, and one that my husband and I have referred to often, is from Kate Sheppard, a leader in the suffragist movement in New Zealand, who said, ‘Do not think your single vote does not matter much. The rain that refreshes the parched ground is made up of single drops,’” the Duchess continued. “That is why I vote.”

© Mike Coppola/Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala

That same year, Prince Harry also made comments about the election in an appearance on ABC’s TIME100 special with Meghan.

“Every four years we are told the same thing, that this is the most important election of our lifetime,” the Duchess said in their video message. “But this one is. When we vote, our values are put into action and our voices are heard. Your voice is a reminder that you matter, because you do and you deserve to be heard.”

Harry added, “This election, I’m not going to be able to vote here in the U.S. But many of you may not know that I haven’t been able to vote in the U.K. my entire life. As we approach this November, it’s vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation, and online negativity.”

Meghan and Prince Harry are no longer working members of the royal family. In 2020, the Duke and Duchess stepped back as senior members of the royal family and moved to California.