Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter blasts Harry and Meghan for exploiting icon 'to make millions' on Netflix
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have come under fire from none other than Nelson Mandela's granddaughter for using him to promote their most recent documentary. Ndileka Mandela, the grandchild of Nelson Mandela, criticized the royal couple for being untruthful and exploiting her grandfather's reputation in an exclusive interview with The Australian. She said, “Harry needs to be authentic and stick to his own story, what relevance does grandad's life have with his? I don't believe he nor Meghan have ever properly met granddad — maybe when Harry was young at Buckingham Palace — but they are using his quotations in the documentary to draw in people and make millions without the Mandela family benefiting.”
“This was inspired by Nelson Mandela,” says Harry in the trailer for their new Netflix show 'Live to Lead' which is a part of their $100 million deal with the streaming giant. The documentary is co-produced by the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Harry then adds, "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we've lived." The next part of the phrase is then presented by Meghan, who then makes an appearance on the clip and said, “It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
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Mandela, who served as South Africa's first president between 1994 and 1999 after being released from jail in 1990, is highly praised for overthrowing the oppressive apartheid state and establishing democracy in his country. Ndileka went on to say about the Netflix show, “That's chalk and cheese, there is no comparison. I know the Nelson Mandela Foundation has supported the initiative but people have stolen grandfather's quotes for years and have used his legacy because they know his name sells – Harry and Meghan are no different from them.”
While applauding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for their "confidence to break away" from the British Royal Family, Ndileka added that seeing people using her granddad’s name to earn millions was "upsetting and tedious." "I admire Harry for having the confidence to break away from an institution as iconic as the Royal family. Grandad rebelled against an arranged marriage to find his own path in life. But it comes at a price, you have to then fund your own life, I’ve made peace with people using granddad’s name but it’s still deeply upsetting and tedious every time it happens," she remarked.
Meanwhile, this was not the first time Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is facing criticism from the Mandela family. In August this year, the Duchess of Sussex was slammed for saying that after her wedding to Prince Harry, South Africans celebrated on the streets the same way they did after Mandela was released from prison. At that time, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zwelivelile, reacted to the statement made by Meghan saying, “Madiba's [Mandela's] celebration was based on overcoming 350 years of colonialism with 60 years of a brutal apartheid regime in South Africa. So it cannot be equated to the same. [the Harry - Meghan wedding]”