Royal fans have taken to social media to draw comparisons between the Marchioness of Bath and the Duchess of Sussex in the latest season of the reality TV show, Ladies of London: The New Reign.
Emma Thynn has joined the cast of the rebooted Bravo show, which follows socialites on the London scene, alongside the mother of Princess Beatrice‘s stepson, Dara Huang, and former Made in Chelsea star Mark-Francis Vandelli.
In the opening scenes, designer Lottie Kane brought up Meghan while introducing Emma to viewers.
‘She is the first black woman to be married into an aristocratic family, and I think Meghan Markle tries to claim that, but it was actually Emma,’ she said.
‘I’m of mixed heritage, half-Nigerian, half-English,’ added Emma, who became the Marchioness of Bath after her husband Ceawlin Thynn’s father, Alexander Thynn, died in 2020.
‘The press commented heavily on the fact that I was going to become the first woman of colour to hold this title, and I acknowledge the fact that… the only woman of colour in this position is me, still to this day,’ she continued.
Fans have taken to social media to comment on Meghan’s mention in the show, with one writing: ‘People continue to obsess over Meghan. Her power!’
A second said: ‘Of course, they think if they mention M it will give them more traction.’ A third wrote: ‘Watching #LadiesOfLondon and they threw some shade at Meghan Markle.’
Emma Thynn, the Marchioness of Bath (pictured), features in new series Ladies of London: The New Reign
Emma went on to explain her title, saying: ‘My title is the Marchioness of Bath. My husband is the Marquess of Bath.’
‘What does it mean in 2025 to have a title? For me, it matters in the context of the estate, the house, and the family.
‘My husband is Ceawlin Thynn, the Marquess of Bath, and I run Longleat House. Longleat House is a stately home; it was built in the Elizabethan times in 1518. It’s very big, it’s officially the biggest house in the UK.
‘Longleat is a 10,000-acre estate with art and antiques, 44 thousand books, a very huge collection of beautiful things.
‘Longleat is our main home, but then the kids go to school in London now, so I’m half in London, half at Longleat, and no two days are the same.
Emma was met with positive comments from her castmates, with Mark-Francis saying of her: ‘Emma is the embodiment of the modern aristocrat.
‘She’s cool, she’s trendy, but at the same time, she holds, with great grace, the weight of being one of Britain’s most important aristocrats.’
In her 2021 cover piece in Tatler, Emma admitted that she doesn’t want her skin colour to be a ‘defining characteristic’.
Pictured: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the Annual Fifteen Percent Pledge Fundraising Gala in Los Angeles, California, last month
The socialite is married to Ceawlin Thynn, the 8th Marquess of Bath, following the passing of his father, Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath, who died unexpectedly of coronavirus aged 87 on April 6, 2020.
Lord Bath was known for his flamboyant dress sense and affairs with as many as 70 women, which he referred to as his ‘wifelets’.
He and his wife Anna Thynn, who died in Paris, France, in 2022, boycotted Emma and Ceawlin’s wedding in 2013.
In 2015, Ceawlin claimed his mother said to him: ‘Are you sure about what you’re doing to 400 years of bloodline?’ in reference to the colour of Emma’s skin.
Anna denied making the comment and said she has ‘absolutely nothing against her daughter-in-law’ but had never met her grandchildren – something Emma has previously acknowledged is an ongoing sadness for her and her husband.
