Harry and Meghan: Are members of the royal family allowed to vote?

On Tuesday 22 September, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex called upon Americans to vote in the upcoming presidential election, describing it as “the most important election of our lifetime”.

Featuring in a broadcast special to mark the unveiling of the annual Time 100 list, the couple, who recently moved to a new permanent home in Santa Barbara, California, emphasised that when people vote, their “values are put into action” and their “voices are heard”, stating: “Your voice is a reminder that you matter. Because you do. And you deserve to be heard.”

In the UK, where Prince Harry and Meghan were previously based, members of the royal family do not typically speak out on political matters, although they do use their platforms to raise awareness of and support charitable and social causes.

But are members of the family technically allowed to vote? Here is everything you need to know.

On the official website for the royal family, it explains that Queen Elizabeth II has an obligation as the head of state to remain neutral on political issues.

While it outlines that the Queen does not vote, it says that this is due to “convention”, rather than saying the monarch is simply not allowed.

“As head of state the Queen has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters,” it states.

“By convention, the Queen does not vote or stand for election, however Her Majesty does have important ceremonial and formal roles in relation to the government of the UK.”

In an article published by the BBC in 2001, it states that while it is widely believe that the Queen is not allowed to vote, she chooses not to as it would be “considered unconstitutional”.

During a recent interview the Duchess of Sussex conducted with Emily Ramshaw, co-founder and CEO of newsroom The 19th*, Meghan commented on the fact that the Duke of Sussex has “never been able to vote”, stating: “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."

While discussing the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd in May this year, Meghan said that while it was “not new" to see an “undercurrent of racism” and “unconscious bias”, she said she looked forward to “being a part of” change.

“And being part of using my voice in a way that I haven’t been able to of late. So, yeah, it’s good to be home,” she added.

Despite Meghan’s admission that Prince Harry has never voted, members of the royal family are technically allowed to vote in elections.

Just like the monarch, members of the royal family are expected to remain neutral on political matters.

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told Newsweek that it is customary for senior members of the royal family who are "close to the Queen" to choose not to exercise their right to vote.

During his joint appearance with Meghan for the Time 100 broadcast special, Prince Harry noted that he has never voted in the UK, nor will he be able to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

The duke, who is not a US citizen, stated that as the election approaches, people must "reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity".