Nelson Mandela's grandson hits out at Meghan Markle for comparing her wedding to freedom

Following on from her explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle has broken her silence on royal life once again ... and Nelson Mandela's grandson is not impressed.

Speaking in a new lengthy interview with The Cut, the Duchess of Sussex caused a stir after she claimed her wedding to Prince Harry sparked scenes of joy in South Africa reminiscent of the 1990 release of the legendary anti-apartheid campaigner after 27 years in jail.

But Zwelivelile 'Mandla' Mandela has insisted there is no comparison between the two events, insisting celebrations for his grandfather's release were far more serious and important than Meghan's marriage "to a white prince".

He said: "It can never be compared to the celebration of someone's wedding.

"We are still bearing scars of the past. But [the celebrations] were a product of the majority of our people being brought out onto the streets to exercise the right of voting for the first time.

"He spoke for oppressed minorities, children and women and protracting the most vulnerable people in our society.

"Nelson Mandela's release from jail was the culmination of nearly 350 years of struggle in which generations of our people paid with their lives. It can never be compared to the celebration of someone's wedding."

He added: "Every day there are people who want to be Nelson Mandela, either comparing themselves with him or wanting to emulate him.

"But before people can regard themselves as Nelson Mandelas, they should be looking into the work that he did and be able to be champions and advocates of the work that he himself championed."

The 41-year-old former actress - who has children Archie, three, and Lilibet, 14 months, with Harry - made the bombshell claims when she spoke about attending the 2019 premiere of The Lion King.

Telling how a South African cast member had stopped to speak to her, she said: "He looked at me, and he's just like light. He said, 'I just need you to know: When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison.' "

But people have claimed that it was not their experience of what happened on May 19, 2018.

An angry Twitter user said: "No one was rejoicing in the streets of South Africa when she got married. For her to imply that it was the same as when President Mandela was released is the utmost disrespect."

Another claimed: "From South Africa, I can promise you one thing, nobody celebrated in the street as with when Mandela was released over a foreign state wedding, yes we watched at home happy for the couple, that was that."

"Comparing your marriage to Nelson Mandela being released? What a pompous and arrogant thing to say," someone else added.

Harry's late mother Princess Diana was close with Mandela, first meeting him in Cape Town in March 1997, while she was in South Africa visiting her brother Earl Spencer. 

Mandela also visited Diana's ancestral home at Althorp in Northamptonshire in November 2002 to see where she was buried.