The Duchess of Sussex feels there’s now a “negative connotation” to her ambition.
The 41-year-old duchess admits that a “feminist ideology” has been central part of her life since her school days – but she feels dating Prince Harry marked a turning point.
The duchess – who has Archie, three, and Lilibet, 14 months, with Harry – explained: “This feminist ideology trickled down into nearly every aspect of my education. It’s probably safe to say into every aspect of my life.
“This message to me and my classmates was clear: our futures as young women were limitless. Ambition? That was the whole point!
“So I don’t remember ever personally feeling the negative connotation behind the word ‘ambitious’ until I started dating my now-husband.”
The duchess married Harry in 2018, and she’s felt a “negativity” towards her ambitions in recent years.
On the first episode of ‘Archetypes’ – her new Spotify podcast – the duchess said: “Apparently ambition is a terrible, terrible thing, for a woman that is – according to some. So, since I’ve felt the negativity behind it, it’s really hard to un-feel it.
“I can’t unsee it, either, in the millions of girls and women who make themselves smaller – so much smaller – on a regular basis.”
The first episode of the duchess’ podcast series featured a conversation between herself and tennis legend Serena Williams.
A description for the episode, titled ‘The Misconception of Ambition with Serena Williams’, reads: “Meghan talks to the one and only Serena Williams about the double standard women face when they are labelled ‘ambitious’ and the ripple effects this has on other aspects of their lives.
“This ground-breaking premiere episode also features Dr. Laura Kray, a leading expert on gender in the workplace.”