Meghan Markle appeared to move a wheelchair user who was “mid-conversation,” potentially undermining the woman’s independence, a campaigner said in a viral TikTok video.
Lucy Edwards, an award-winning British TV presenter, said Meghan may have grabbed a female Invictus Games participant’s wheelchair without permission during an event on Saturday.
The Duchess of Sussex posted footage to her Instagram account of her with Prince Harry and the Canadian team during a meet and greet on day one of the Olympics-style tournament for wounded veterans.
In the clip, Meghan appears to grab hold of the woman’s wheelchair while she is talking, moving her into position.
Edwards expressed concerns in a viral TikTok video that was captioned: “Maybe Meghan didn’t mean any offense, she was most likely coming from a well-meaning place, not wanting to have anyone left out of the photo, but it’s so important to ask someone before grabbing. Mobility aids really are an extension of our disabled bodies.”
The clip was viewed more than 100,000 times and liked 1,800 times. It showed Edwards saying: “Do you think Meghan Markle moved this lady without her permission mid-conversation? Let’s talk about it.
“At first glance, watching this video we all know cameras don’t capture everything so Meghan may have had a prior discussion with this lady off-camera beforehand but I’m going to assume for this video, and the point that I’m making, she hasn’t.
“We are not taught about disability at all in our education systems or in our workplace so I can see how Meghan would have wanted to include this lady and bring her in on the fun, not want to exclude her, that’s why she was doing this.
“However, it does leave myself and many others within our community feeling quite shocked.
“You can see that this woman is clearly in mid-conversation with someone and I’ve had first-hand experience of this myself when crossing the street with my guide dog Miss Molly.”
Edwards then talked about how people sometimes try to help her across the road if they can see that the way is clear without realizing that they are undermining her independence in the process.
“All it does is make me feel confused, disorientated, interrupts the conversation between me and [husband] Ollie and I don’t really understand why someone has to do it,” she said.
“A mobility aid is our independence and our freedom and as soon as you touch our mobility aid, my long white cane, a guide dog, a wheelchair, that is an extension of our disabled body. Please do not touch without permission.”
Meghan regularly experiences a torrent of criticism online and there has been plenty of that from familiar anti-Sussex accounts, especially on Twitter.
However, Edwards’ video fits into her existing role as an advocate for disabled people and she is not otherwise known for royal commentary.
She is blind and said she formed her analysis “using my husband’s audio description.”
Edwards said: “Please understand and remember that we all have the right to live free independent lives.
“I’m sure so many of us have made this mistake, I haven’t personally, but I know I make so many mistakes every day.
“It’s how we learn from our mistakes and make sure they don’t happen again.”
