You’d have to be living under a rock to not know that Harry and Meghan have left Britain, years of Royal family tradition, and their days of not wearing jeans behind.
When we boil it right down to the basics, Meghan is a wife, a businesswoman, a mogul in her own right, and, most recently, a mother, who is first and foremost looking out for her family. Harry and Meghan are trying to carve a path for themselves together, without the confines of outdated hierarchies and downright bullying behaviour…and I’m not even talking about the British press! Yet.
Haven’t we all experienced a toxic relationship at one point or another? Whether friend or family, who among us has not dealt with unwelcome comments, boundary-pushing behaviours and sometimes rude criticisms from those people whom we have considered our “inner circle?”
The British Press has had a field day pitting Meghan against Kate since the first photograph of Meghan and Harry at the Invictus games hit the news. Pitting women against one another is nothing new in our patriarchal society, but what we had not fathomed was how viciously the press would go after this 36-year-old multi-hyphenate divorcee.
In one of many racist and sexist comments from the press, the Daily Mail UK ran an article accompanied by a tweet that read “From Slaves to Royalty; Meghan Markle’s Upwardly Mobile Family.” If that doesn’t make your jaw drop, you should probably stop reading.
The entire circus, which is really what the press has made of the #Megxit, is reminiscent of the many years the late Princess Diana faced constant scrutiny in the public eye. Diana was pursued by paparazzi on the night of her death, so it stands to reason that her turbulent relationship with the press haunted her, literally, until the very end.
Recently, Harry spoke openly and emotionally about the parallels between the public lives of his mother and his wife. He is quoted as saying, “My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”
We’ve seen Meghan and Harry stand up and speak up in the face of adversity. It may be the combined net worth of $45 million dollars that stands to separate us, but I believe (finances aside) we’re really not so different. What unites and connects us ultimately are our struggles. The Duke and Duchess are really just a young family trying to forge their own path, life, and legacy without remaining beholden to the shadow of the crown, — or, in our average joe “non-royal” lives, the perils of toxic people.
Maybe the happily ever after of the crumbling aristocracy is no longer relevant in the eyes of our progressive family units. Perhaps penning one’s own chapter is now not only in fashion but a “sign of the times” (thank you, Harry Styles).
Truly, what makes Meghan relatable isn’t found in her empowering UN speeches, or her affordable Reitmans line — although both of those things impress the hell outta me. It’s her willingness to essentially say, “I’m putting my family first – the buck stops here.”
Meghan herself told the Telegraph, “I find that when you strip all the layers away, as people, and especially as women, we can find a deep connection with each other and a shared understanding…” In this case, the shared understanding is doing what is best for her and her family. Diana would be proud.