The royals have missed an opportunity to show the world that they are progressive and relevant. Meghan would have been the perfect way to modernise the institution and to prevent them from becoming outdated. As a mixed raced female, the empowerment she radiates is fresh and upcoming. She should have been embraced from the start and as the world is changing, the firm should follow suit.
Meghan has truly made her mark as a spokeswoman in the past, championing women’s rights, multiculturalism and equality. She has proven herself to be a feminist role model to many. Warned by her British friends that the tabloids would destroy her, Meghan perused Harry and followed her heart. The press became suffocating for the Duchess and the coverage was 24/7.
Meghan was a sacrifice. The firm are thought to have had a ‘sacrificial victim’ which the media would tear apart- from Margaret to Diana to Charles and Camila to Harry and now Meghan. There are more important stories and issues surrounding the royal family that should be covered. Interestingly, if you type into the Daily Mail’s search index ‘Prince Andrew’, he isn’t there. The gatekeeping is undoubtedly toxic and Meghan has had to deal with the repercussions for years now.
The media has been known to pre-judge and use stereotypes to create their agendas. This results in fake news. On this occasion, Youtubers Josh Pieters and Archie Manners created a video where royal experts commented on the Oprah interview with Harry and Meghan which hadn’t even aired yet. The duo exposed these royal experts for lying to the public and made a comical video- highlighting a predetermined narrative which was never likely to be based on the actual interview. Meanwhile, none of the British tabloids carried this story.
These individuals are not in alignment with modern values and already made up their minds about the interview before it was broadcasted. It appears they’re merely monetising the industry, as they were paid a good amount for the commentary they did. No wonder why the couple wanted to escape their lives in England that was constantly under a microscope.
The firm have lost the respect of so many and are stuck in a tradition from long ago. If better understanding of the modern and current world keeps being rejected then I believe that they will be abolished in time. In the interview with Oprah, Meghan expressed her concerns with the lack of support she was given. This has created public upset as the Duchess was suffering all this time in silence. Markle speaking about her battle aloud was raw and the fact that some media claim she’s lying is appalling. This has opened people’s eyes to the flaws in The Palace and the un-resolving issues which have been discounted.
Have Meghan and Harry moved the monarchy closer to collapsing? Although support for republicanism has always been low- around 20%, will this figure change when the Queen reaches the end of her reign and Charles takes over?
Edited by Pia Cooper