A friend of Meghan Markle has launched a fresh attack on the Royal Family and accused the monarchy of having double standards and failing to "help" the Duchess of Sussex. Bryony Gordon, a British journalist and podcast host, befriended Markle in the early days of her dating Prince Harry.

Sharing her opinion in the Daily Mail, the journalist wrote: "With each sordid allegation, I have become more and more furious that so little was done to help Meghan as she struggled with life in the Royal Family, while so much was done to protect Prince Andrew."

In a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey and after leaving the Royal Family, Markle accused the monarchy for failing to protect her mental health. Ms Gordon further writes: "Each time we meet, or exchange texts about life, I wonder what it says about the world that she could be so vilified and trolled, while other members of the royal family seem to have been given a free pass to behave as badly as they want."

It comes as a new book by author Andrew Lownie about the Duke of York's private life has been subject to fresh scrutiny in recent weeks. 'Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York' "charts Andrew’s record in the Falklands, his business activities and reveals details of how the couple have been able financially to sustain their extravagant lifestyles. It also recounts the full story of the Yorks’ links with Jeffrey Epstein" according to the book description.

The Duke of York stepped down from royal duties in 2019, following a BBC Newsnight interview hosted by Emily Maitlis about his connection to the late and convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. Following the interview, the duke was stripped of his royal and military titles in 2021. He denies all allegations made against him.

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