Are the Media Outlets the reason behind the strain in the Royal Family?
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey to discuss their situation, and go into further detail on exactly why they stepped down as Senior Members of the Royal Family. This was highly anticipated all over the worldWhen Prince Harry (Duke of Sussex) and Meghan Markle’s (Duchess of Sussex) engagement was announced in late 2017, it prompted positive responses, mainly because of the Duchess of Sussex being the first woman with black heritage to become a member of the royal family. Although there were a few worries surrounding the way mainstream media treated the Duchess at the start of their relationship, no one would have thought that these concerns would turn out to be reality. Fast forward 4 years later, the couple have been stripped of their honorary titles by the Queen after deciding to not return as working members of the Royal Family. The Royal Family now await an expected controversial, tell-all interview in which a variety of topics will be discussed from their royal exit to marriage and pregnancy. In the aftermath of the highly-anticipated interview with Oprah, let’s take a look at the few events that may have led to the couple departing from their royal duties.
Since 2016, Meghan, who is half African-American, has found herself as the target of the British media and considering her position as a biracial, divorced American, of which are both highly unusual in the royal family, it does not justify the condemning of the Duchess. When Meghan announced her pregnancy with baby Archie, the British media were quick in criticising the Duchess of Sussex and her approach ahead of the baby’s birth. Several months after her announcement, internet trolls took to social media to claim that Meghan was faking her baby bump and pregnancy. The constant obsessive attacks on Meghan from media outlets such as Daily Mail and Express, and most notably television personality Piers Morgan during her pregnancy, outlines the transparent racism that started off as subtle vilifications and ended as public humiliation.
There was also a huge focus on the number of protocols that were broken by the Duchess of Sussex, one in which included Meghan wearing a revealing dress when attending a performance of Cirque du Soleil's "Totem" at the Royal Albert Hall in London with Prince Harry. She went barelegged under a glittering navy blue gown and wearing open-toe shoes, opposing royal protocol, which is closed-toe shoes.
Furthermore, in comparing the UK media coverage of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to that of Prince William and Kate Middleton (the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) there is a huge difference in the reporting of both couples. The constant double standards and false/biased reporting as shown below again suggests the obvious agenda against Meghan Markle.
Additionally, spending their Christmas, and Archie’s first, in 2019 away in Canada also raised eyebrows. As the couple enjoyed their time in a country over 3,500 miles away, the rest of the royal family stayed back and celebrated Christmas in traditional fashion. It was also noted that a photo of Harry, his wife and their new child were missing from the queen's desk during her holiday address to the nation. Prior to 2019, Harry had only missed one other Christmas with the Royal family in 2012 when he was stationed in Afghanistan.
Meghan and Harry have worked to challenge the norms of the British monarchy and in doing so have ruffled feathers in the royal family. But does that justify the media’s treatment of the couple? This is a question that continues to divide opinion and cause further issues amongst the royal family.
