Nelson Mandela's granddaughter praises Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Ndileka Mandela, the granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, said she had been “shocked” by claims she criticised Meghan Markle and Prince Harry for “profiteering” from Mandela’s name.

“I had never accused Harry and Meghan of doing this. Instead, I was misquoted, leading to global news coverage that weaponised my name - and the name of my grandfather," she said writing for the Independent.

She said,"It is true that I feel terribly disappointed whenever the Mandela name or face is used for commercial purposes without any benefit to the vision he stood for."

Ndileka Mandela added, "But what’s ironic is that one of the biggest examples of this happening was not carried out by Harry and Meghan at all – but carried out by their critics, who falsely exploited my grandfather’s name to attack them.”

Praising Prince Harry and Meghan Markle,  Ms Mandela said, “I welcomed the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s brilliant partnership with them on Live to Lead, and I celebrate the inspiration that Harry and Meghan take from my grandfather’s legacy for their social activism."

Taking aim at the royal family, she said, "By speaking out about their experiences in the royal family, Harry and Meghan are widening the boundaries of acceptable discourse, bringing to light the unsavoury realities of a cherished British institution that remains at the heart of racialised global inequalities."