US Election: Meghan Markle becomes first member of the royal family to take part in national election

Prince Harry will not be voting given that he is not a US citizen

(Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The Duchess of Sussex has become the first member of the British royal family to ever take part in a national election.

On Tuesday 3 November, a source close to Meghan confirmed to The Independent that she will be voting in the US election.

“I can confirm that yes, the Duchess is voting in this election,” they said.

The source did not offer specifics as to whether or not Meghan will cast her vote today or if she had already voted in a postal ballot.

The Duke of Sussex has previously confirmed that he will not be voting in the US election. This is not just because, as a UK citizen, he has no voting rights in America, but also because of an age-old tradition that dictates that members of the royal family do not participate in elections.

“This election I'm not going to be able to vote here in the US but many of you may not know I haven't been able to vote in the UK my entire life,” Prince Harry told Time100 in September.

"As we approach this November, it's vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity," he added.

In light of her husband’s inability to vote, Meghan has previously highlighted how it is a privilege to be able to do so.

"I look at my husband for example; he's never been able to vote, and I think it's such an interesting thing to say the right to vote is not a privilege, it is a right in of itself," she told The 19th in August.

Meghan has been vocal of her support for the democratic vice president nominee, Kamala Harris, who would be the first black vice-president of all time if elected to the White House.

“I'm so excited to see that kind of representation,” Meghan said in a conversation with Gloria Steinham in September.

"You know, for me, being biracial, growing up, whether it was a doll or a person in office, you need to see someone who looks like you in some capacity.

"As many of us believe, you can only be what you can see. In the absence of that, how can you aspire to something greater than what you see in your own world?"