During a recent interview with The Australian, Ndileka Mandela, daughter of the legendary Nelson Mandela, who is also a social activist and writer, criticized Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle for using her late grandfather’s name to attract a higher Netflix audience for their docuseries, Harry&Meghan. She referred to their action as “deeply upsetting and tedious”.
Ndileka Mandela said that she felt “deeply upset” by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for using Nelson Mandela’s legacy not only to get massive views on Netflix, but to fund their life in America. She also spoke about the duo’s seven-part Netflix documentary, “Live To Lead”, which launched on the streaming platform on New Year’s Eve.
The Netflix documentary was inspired by the anti-apartheid campaigner, to which Ndileka said the Duke of Sussex “needs to be authentic and stick to his own story”, instead of using Nelson Mandela’s own. She said: “What relevance does grandad’s life have with his?”
Nelson Mandela’s Daughter, Ndileka Mandela Slams Prince Harry And Meghan Markle For Mkaing Millions Off Her Grandfather
“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.” She continued, “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.”
However, the granddaughter of Nelson Mandela claimed to “admire” Harry for “having the confidence to break away from an institution as iconic as the Royal Family”. Speaking of her grandad, the African Hero, she added: “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.”
In 2015, the Duke of Sussex shared with the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory his memory meeting Madiba. He said: “I was fortunate enough to meet Madiba a number of years ago and I have treasured that memory ever since.”