The Duchess of Edinburgh’s visit to Ukraine has ‘proved she’s the Royal Family’s champion of women’s rights’ while Meghan Markle ‘wasted her potential’ by sending jam to celebrities, a royal expert has claimed.

Prince Edward’s wife, 59, bravely denounced Putin’s forces for using rape as weapon of war as she became the first British royal to visit Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex, 42, is gearing up to launch her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard and has most recently sent pilates instructor Heather Dorak a sample of her ‘kid-tested, mother-approved’ preserve. 

Speaking to FEMAIL, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams noted how Meghan’s work around women’s rights appears to have waned in the wake of Megxit and how she could have flourished in the Royal Family.

He explained: ‘We know that Meghan is a feminist who promotes women’s rights. At the age of 11 she famously protested against a sexist commercial. 

Pictured: The Duchess of Edinburgh with Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska at the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv during her visit to Ukraine

Pictured: the Duchess of Sussex at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge to Benefit Sentebale in April 2024

‘In her visits to Rwanda in 2016 and India in 2017 and in a memorable speech to the United Nations International Women’s Day Conference in 2015, she campaigned for equal opportunities. 

‘She stressed this in her visits to the Antipodes and South Africa when she and Harry were still senior working members of the royal family. 

‘This potential has surely been wasted since she and Harry stepped down from royal duties. 

The expert noted how the Duchess of Edinburgh has been tirelessly working in the women’s rights realm over the past few years alongside her sister-in-law Queen Camilla.

Richard continued: ‘Whilst [Meghan] sends pots of jam to celebrities, it is the Duchess of Edinburgh who meets survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and displaced women in a landmark visit to Ukraine.

‘It is Queen Camilla who has done so much to give a voice to survivors of domestic abuse and who has spoken out so forcefully against gender-based violence.’ 

He added: ‘If Meghan had seriously wanted to make a difference, she should surely have remained a senior working royal. 

‘It does involve compromise, but think what could have been achieved for an important cause she claims is so dear to her heart.’ 

Pictured: The Duchess of Edinburgh seen at Aberdeen Women’s Clinic in Sierra Leone in January 2020

Pictured: the Duchess of Edinburgh arrives at the United Nations in New York to deliver a speech on women’s rights in Afghanistan in March 2022

The Duchess of Edinburgh meets Jeanne Mukunilwa, a survivor of conflict-related sexual violence at the City of Joy, in Bukavu, South Kivu Province, during a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo in October 2022

In January 2020, Sophie flew to Sierra Leone, where she visited a Women’s centre. Two months later, the Duchess travelled to the Republic of South Sudan and visited various initiatives to protect the safety of girls and women, as well as meeting women peacebuilders and rights activists. 

In March 2022, the Duchess delivered a keynote speech at the United Nations in New York  about the importance of upholding women’s rights in Afghanistan. 

Yesterday, the royal denounced the use of sexual violence to ‘demean, degrade and destroy’ women and girls as she met survivors of the Russian invasion. 

The mother-of-two said she was grateful for the ‘honesty’ and ‘openness’ displayed by women she spoke to during an emotional one-day trip to Kyiv and the surrounding areas. 

The Duchess, who visited in her role as champion of the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the Women, Peace and Security agenda, said ‘women and girls pay the highest price’ in war. 

In January, Queen Camilla gave a speech during the 50th anniversary of the Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service where she said she hoped the ‘horrific’ scourge of domestic abuse would be ‘obliterated’ in the next 50 years.

Queen Camilla said in January she hoped the ‘horrific’ scourge of domestic abuse would be ‘obliterated’ in the next 50 years, while making a speech at a domestic abuse charity

In 1993, the Duchess of Sussex wrote to Proctor & Gamble asking them to change the message in their sexist washing liquid commercial. 

The narrator in the original commercial declares that the soap is handy because ‘women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.’ 

A young Meghan was unhappy with the wording of the commercial, especially after two boys in her class said that it confirms the stereotype of women ‘belonging in the kitchen.’ 

In 2015, Markle recalled the incident during a speech at the United Nations to mark International Women’s Day.

In 2015, Markle recalled the incident during a speech at the United Nations to mark International Women’s Day

She said: ‘I remember feeling shocked and angry and also just feeling so hurt. It just wasn’t right and something needed to be done.’

Meghan recalled how her father inspired her to bring about change.

‘He encouraged me to write letters, so I did — to the most powerful people I could think of,’ she said.

Young Meghan sent a letter to the soap maker, Proctor & Gamble as well as to famed civil rights lawyer Gloria Allred, then-first lady Hillary Clinton, and Nick News anchor Linda Ellerbee.

After Ellerbee received the letter, she and a camera crew from her show went to meet Markle.

Proctor & Gamble also responded by changing the wording of the commercial from ‘women’ to ‘people.’

Little information has been released about Meghan’s new project American Riviera Orchard but a trademark application filed in February shows the company wishes to offer downloadable and printed recipe books, table wear, textiles, and jams and marmalades, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office website.

Pilates Platinum owner Heather Dorak revealed her jam was numbered ‘7 out of 50’, as she became the tenth person to be identified as one of Meghan’s ‘jamfluencers’

Heather Dorak thanked her friend Meghan for the ‘tasty homemade jam’ in an Instagram post 

Meghan Markle pictured with Heather Dorak who owns six studios under the Pilates Platinum brand

Earlier this month, a branding expert said Meghan was distributing the jam to her friends as a way of highlighting her new business venture by giving them a ‘personal present’ that she likely produced herself with ingredients sourced from Montecito.

PR expert Nick Ede said the jars looked ‘very home made with a stylish crest and almost handwritten brand name’.

He added that the jam ‘will have most likely have been sourced in Montecito and produced by hand by Meghan herself to make them feel special and thought of.’

And Mr Ede claimed her strategy was ‘highlighting the brand rather than Meghan’ as she tries to get people to ‘buy into the ARO lifestyle not just her own personal brand’.

Meanwhile, it has been announced that the Duke and Duchess will visit Nigeria next month after Harry attends an event in the UK.

He will attend a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on May 8, with Meghan not expected to join him.

The couple will then head to Nigeria after being invited by the west African country’s chief of defence staff, who met Harry in Germany last September at the Invictus Games Dusseldorf.