Prince Harry and Markle. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
The world waited with nervous and excited anticipation for the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, interview with the queen of talk show Oprah Winfrey. It finally aired in the UK on March 8. It’s been reported that 11.4 million viewers tuned into ITV in the U.K.
The interview was broadcast to over 60 countries, reminiscent of when Diana, Princess of Wales sat down for her own bombshell interview with Martin Bashir in November 1995.
There were those who boasted on social media that they would not be watching it, as though it was beneath them or it somehow made them special. Then there were those who declared that there was other racism that we should be focusing on, this is where I let out a frustrated sigh. After the interview an acquaintance wrote, “it depends on whether you believe this young lady and her innuendos” and he is completely entitled to his opinion. His stand is that we shouldn’t believe this “young lady” but we should believe unnamed sources in the numerous tabloid stories, right? The unfairness of it all. It is very easy to be dismissive and so callous when you are not affected personally, I wonder what their opinion would be if this were their sister, mother, niece, aunty who disclosed they had been subjected to such shocking abuse?
Another offered that President Obama did not quit even when he was bombarded with unprecedented racist attacks and therefore Meghan should have stuck it out. But Obama did not have people inside of the White House trying to undermine him. Obama was not told that his wife and children were not deemed important enough to warrant protection. Obama was not competing with others inside of the White House. Aren’t we taking the narrative of the “strong Black woman” who is supposed to withstand all forms of abuses a tad too far? A lesser being would have crumbled sooner.
Meghan has been accused of having the propensity to fall out with people, but why should she be in contact with people who betray her? She tells us in the interview that as soon as her relationship with Prince Harry became public knowledge she was briefed to always answer, “no comment” to questions from reporters, and those close to her also got the same instructions. What does her father do? What does her half sister do?
Thomas Markle and Samantha Markle spoke to the press at any given opportunity. Samantha even went on to write a tell all book, “Diary of Princess Pushy’s sister.” This is why Meghan severed links with them. Yet she should shoulder the blame for her family’s lack of discretion?
Guess what? I have been known to cut people off without a second thought. I have no tolerance for disloyal family members or friends and I am just Jane Blogs down the road! Family members who had not been in contact with Meghan suddenly appeared out of the woodworks to have their five minutes of fame.
Samantha Markle and other family members traveled to London, and then on to Buckingham Palace on the day of Meghan’s wedding, hoping to just stroll into the palace grounds because they were kin. To those quick to judge, ask yourselves if you would invite every member of your family to your wedding, even those you had not been in touch with for years for whatever reason. Are you in touch and in loving relationships with every family member? It is what it is.
During the Oprah interview, Meghan looked breathtaking as usual. She was a picture of health as she lovingly cradled her baby bump. Both the prince and Meghan spoke very fondly about her majesty the queen with Prince Harry referring to her as grandmother on several occasions. This was heart-warming. Meghan also revealed that the queen had been nothing but kind to her. The problem was the machinations that run the palace. Prince Harry also spoke with compassion about his father, Prince Charles and brother Prince William, acknowledging that they are trapped within the system, just as he’d been.
During the interview Meghan revealed that she did not know much about Prince Harry before they started courting. She added that she never researched him even during courtship because everything she needed to know, he told her. I find this hard to believe; that you wouldn’t be curious about a real life prince and not google him. She also said that she did not research the royal family. If she truly didn’t, then she should have, just to get an idea of what life in the oldest institution in the world would be like. Not that this would have prevented the tabloid onslaught or being undermined by the palace machinations.
Further revelations in the interview were astounding. The public had been led to believe that Prince Harry and Meghan broke with the tradition of taking pictures outside the hospital with their new born baby because they wanted to do things their own way, but in actual fact, they were never asked to and after watching the interview, we now know this was simply a way for them to protect their baby son.
Again, the public was told that the couple did not want Archie to have a title, and then we find out that they did not get to make that decision. The palace made that decision for them and in denying Archie the title of Prince, it meant that his life was not important enough to warrant security. This is the queen’s great grandson, mind you. No ratio decidendi was ever given, I wonder if concerns raised about the color of his skin had anything to do with it?
Listening to Meghan talk about her mental state and suicidal thoughts during her pregnancy brought tears to my eyes and yet vermin like Pierce Morgan, the former ITV television presenter, questioned the authenticity of
her revelation. In Morgan’s view, in relation to Meghan, there must be an icebox where the rest of us have hearts. Meghan is apparently incapable of suffering a mental breakdown. Happily Morgan got the response he deserved from the public.
Markle asked for help, she did not get it and we know what untreated mental health can lead to. Meghan was afraid to be left alone, and even in her sadness, she would rather have dressed up, put on lippy and a smile for the rest of the world. It comes with the job. While we sit in judgment, we do not know someone’s struggles behind closed doors. There have been incredibly silly and insensitive comments like, how can someone so privileged feel abused? These comments are not from some inbred in some trailer park, but from seemingly well educated people.
Both Prince Harry and Prince William have spoken of their mental states, bottling up pain and eventually becoming overwhelmed by those feelings. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Catherine Middleton front an organization that deals with mental health issues; yet Meghan could not access support. Prince Harry had no choice but to take matters into his own hands in order to protect his wife and son.
For such courageous action, death threats? Just wow!
I have always maintained that no one walks away from a life of such unimaginable privilege, adoration and obscene wealth without compelling reason and the reasons offered are indeed convincing.
Prince Harry and Meghan may be a celebrity couple, members of the royal family, but they are still human beings with the same challenges, same emotions, same mental health issues, same pain and suffering and family woes like the rest of us.
The couple has always maintained that they never walked away, they wanted to step back and be like other minor royals who still support the queen, live on palace grounds and earn their own money. If they were not coping, why did they need to pretend that they were? While removing the military honors and patronages from the couple may be hurtful to the Duke and Duchess, it hurts those patronages much more.
Comparisons have been made about how the British press treated Diana, Princess of Wales and Meghan. Whilst I agree that Diana was hounded by the press, and there was intense scrutiny into her private life—especially following her divorce—their experiences are different. When was Diana ever called “exotic”? When did they ever say that she was “straight out of Compton”? When did they ever compare her children to a chimpanzee? Who in their right mind hates on a baby?
The tabloid press displayed blatant racism and as for the palace, what we have had here is institutionalized racism at its best. We see it everyday and some of us experience it. This diminishes our lived experiences when some people have the luxury to question the existence of racism or to simply say they are fed up of hearing about it. Try living it. Denying its existence—however shameful it is—perpetuate the dangers faced daily by people of color. This debacle has led me to question so much and so many. It is a stain on humanity, just like so-called “tribal” and other forms of discrimination.
On October 29, 2019, British female Members of Parliament from various political parties wrote a letter in support of Meghan Markle. It’s painful to note that the royal family never once did.
Today a message was released from the palace to say, “the whole family is saddened to learn of the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly, that of race, are concerning.” The statement goes on to say that although some recollections “vary,” these matters will be addressed privately and that the couple and Archie remain much loved members of the family.
They knew, just like they knew of the couple’s intention to step back from their senior royal positions, but chose to tarnish the reputation of this young couple by saying that her majesty had been “blindsided” knowing very well that they would be vilified for such disrespect. They hoped that Meghan Markle would go away quietly.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex is about a life of service and with compassion. One only need recall her interaction with people during her tour of Australia and South Africa. She is pure magic and this must have irked some people. In Meghan, we have the magic of Diana, Princess of Wales. She wanted to use her voice and position to empower those with quieter voices. Alas that was not to be. Even then, the couple said a life of service is universal and it doesn’t have to be within the confines of the royal family.
They seem happy in their new life. They are making their own money just as they said they wanted to do. They have a lovely home and a lovely family. Paying back money for the renovation of Frogmore cottage did not bankrupt them as perhaps many had hoped?
To those who accuse them of using their royal connections to get deals, so what? Have you never heard of family members or friends putting in a good word for their loved ones? Have you never heard the saying sometimes it is not what you know, but who you know?
It was endearing to hear Meghan say to Prince Harry, “you saved me, you saved us.”
Every woman needs a Prince Harry. Where is mine damn it?
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