Meghan Markle calls for 'change' in upcoming US election

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit frontline British royal duties this year and moved to California

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Meghan Markle, the wife of Prince Harry, on Thursday broke from protocol normally followed by British royals in calling for a "change" in the upcoming US presidential election.

Her comments came during a virtual "voter registration couch party" organized by When We All Vote, an outreach group co-chaired by former first lady Michelle Obama, actor Tom Hanks and others to increase participation at the polls.

"We all know what’s at stake this year. I know it, I think all of you certainly know it," Markle said. "You’re just as mobilized and energized to the change that we all need and deserve."

"We vote to honor those who came before us and to protect those who will come after us -- because that’s what community is all about and that’s specifically what this election is all about," she said.

The "Suits" actress did not mention President Donald Trump, who will face Democrat Joe Biden at the polls on November 3.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit frontline British royal duties this year and moved to California.

Markle and Harry have spoken of their desire to "to do something of meaning, to do something that matters," in California, where they plan to launch a wide-ranging non-profit organization named Archewell.

Markle, whose mother is black, spoke out in June after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African American killed by police, reflecting on her own memories of racism growing up in Los Angeles.