Women in the U.K. parliament are rallying behind Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle may be facing off against the British media for continuing to print cruel and vicious stories about her personal life, but she’s not fighting alone. As of this week, 72 female members of parliament in the U.K. have signed an open letter in support of the Duchess of Sussex.The MPs who have shown their support come from a wide range of political beliefs, but one thing they have in common is the shared idea that Markle has been forced to endure stories with “outdated, colonial undertones” since she first began dating her now-husband Prince Harry back in 2017.The letter, which was shared on Twitter by Labour MP Holly Lynch, read “Although we find ourselves being women in public life in a very different way from you, we share an understanding of the abuse and intimidation which is now so often used as a means of disparaging women in public office from getting on with our very important work.” The letter, which is addressed to Markle, is intended to show that the MPs are "taking a stand against the often distasteful and misleading nature of the stories printed in a number of our national newspapers concerning you, your character and your family."

Women MPs from all political parties have put aside our differences to stand in solidarity with the Duchess of Sussex today and are sending her this open letter. pic.twitter.com/ytLHG5qPf4

— Holly Lynch MP (@HollyLynch5) October 29, 2019

The letter also alludes to the many stories about Markle that "sought to cast aspersions about your character, without any good reason as far as we can see," adding that these headlines could not "be allowed to go unchallenged." Closing the letter with a promise that the MPs will “use the means at our disposal to ensure that the press accept your right to privacy and show respect and that their stories reflect the truth,” the MPs implored the media to consider when a story is of national interest and when it’s “seeking to tear a woman down for no apparent reason.”The members of parliament are the latest political and public figures to show their support for Markle, who has previously been praised by former First Lady Michelle Obama and most recently by Hillary Clinton, who told the Sunday Times Magazine in October that she believed much of the hateful stories published by the media about Markle are racially motivated. "If the explanation is that she's biracial, then shame on everybody,” said Clinton.On October 1, Markle and Prince Harry began legal proceedings against the Mail on Sunday for publishing a private letter between the Duchess and her father, Thomas Markle. In a public statement, Harry claimed that the paper has actively "vilified" his wife for almost a year, adding “the contents of a private letter were published unlawfully in an intentionally destructive manner to manipulate you, the reader, and further the divisive agenda of the media group in question.”Markle has recently spoken out about the damaging effect the constant negative news cycle around her has played in her personal life and clearly the Duchess isn't alone.