Meghan and Harry accept their award at the NAACP Awards

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared on stage in Los Angeles on Saturday to accept a top accolade at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards. The couple were awarded the President’s Award in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service.

During their acceptance speech, Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, paid tribute to the people of Ukraine amid the ongoing crisis and called for global support for the country.

Harry said: “Before I begin, we would like to acknowledge the people of Ukraine who urgently need our support as a global community.

“I think it’s safe to say I come from a very different background to my incredible wife, yet our lives were brought together for a reason.

“We share a commitment to a life of service, a responsibility to confront injustice and a belief that the most overlooked are often the most important to listen to.”

Before Meghan added: “I couldn’t be prouder that we’re doing this work together.

“We are so deeply humbled to be here in the company of such illustrious awardees.”

However, Harry’s comments, in particular, came under fire from royal commentator and biographer Angela Levin.

Ms Levin, who wrote ‘Harry: Conversations with the Prince’ claims that the Duke and Duchess were “incredibly patronising” during their appearance.

She claims this is because they called on world leaders to take action during the Russia-Ukraine crisis rather than opting for what she claims is a “more appropriate” approach to the situation.

On Twitter, Ms Levin wrote: “Who knows H and M might have been ‘brought together for a reason’ but it isn’t to tell leaders round the world to take action to help Ukraine.

“Incredibly patronising, assuming they know better…etc. William and Kate just said they supported Ukraine. Much more appropriate”

Kate and Prince William issued a heartfelt message showing compassion to Ukraine on Saturday, which marked the third day of attacks by Russian forces across the Eastern European country.

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The couple recalled a 2020 meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, First Lady Olena Zelenska, in which they had the chance to learn first-hand of the leader’s plans for Ukraine.

In addition, they wrote: “Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for that future.”

In response to Angela Levin’s tweets, some royal fans rushed to the defence of Meghan and Harry, by pointing out that they had released a similar message of support for Ukraine through their website Archwell on Friday.

The move saw them become the first members of the Royal Family to speak publicly about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Their message read: “Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us at Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine against this breach of international and humanitarian law and encourage the global community and its leaders to do the same.”

As the pair stepped back from their royal duties in 2020, they are able to speak about such matters publicly, as private citizens.

While, on the other hand, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge rarely openly position themselves when it comes to sharing their views on diplomatic or military conflicts, due to royal protocol.

Protocol prevents reigning monarchs, and successors to the throne from addressing contentious affairs due to a requirement of the sovereign being politically neutral.

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