Oprah x The Sussex’s
My thoughts on THAT Meghan Markle and Prince Harry interview
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A year after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially stepped back from royal duties, and embarked on a life outside of the United Kingdom and the British monarchy, the couple sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey. The result? A two hour televised tell-all where they have a chance to explain their side of the story. So why did the palace, and the British tabloids, fear this interview so much? My guess is they’re both scared they’ll no longer be the ones in control of the narrative. If you haven’t watched the interview yet be warned, this conversation is charged.
The marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was full of hope and promises. It symbolised new beginnings, change was on the horizon. We now know that it turned out to resemble something very different. I remember exactly where I was when I saw Meghan sashay down the aisle in that Givenchy dress by Claire Waight Keller. I was on holiday (remember when we used to go on holidays?) in New York sitting at Black Tap, sipping on a freak shake they’d created in honour of the new union. I felt optimistic, upbeat even. I was looking forward to the greater acceptance of women of colour across the globe. Well, that's what I thought was going to happen anyway. Seeing how things turned out, and the abhorrent treatment of Markle by the British press, evidenced just how deeply entrenched racism is in British society. I felt uncomfortable watching the media coverage over the years, saddened that people were so quick to judge and criticise a woman they barely knew.
Oprah: “Were you silent, or were you silenced?” Meghan: “The latter.” The impact that question had, and the subsequent answer, left me speechless. Ever since Harry met Meghan, our perception of her has been controlled by the royal communications team and the press - this was something I hadn’t given much thought to before. Meghan mentions in the interview the monarchy are very particular about how things “look”, they never come to her defence instead preferring she gets slated by the media, for fear of causing a rife which would then reflect on how other royals are portrayed. ‘Rather her than us’ speaks to their mindset. Meghan had no breathing room, her life was incredibly restricted, she wasn’t even able to leave the house of her own accord. They were forcing her to live through her own personal lockdown. The warning signs were there all along, things were bound to take their toll eventually.
Princess Diana sat down with a journalist twenty six years ago and gave an interview eerily similar to what we saw on Monday night. Both Meghan and Diana discussed the negative press they received, their mental health struggles, and how their imagined fairytales of marrying a prince didn’t work out how they’d expected. When Diana died in a car crash in 1997, which a jury ruled was partly the fault of the paparazzi, the public and the media swore they’d never let such a tragedy happen again. More than two decades have passed since that day, and it seems we’ve learned nothing. In the Oprah interview Prince Harry compared the attacks on his wife to the treatment of his mother: “What I saw was history repeating itself”, but due to social media and the racism Meghan was experiencing, he said that these attacks were “far more dangerous.” Both women sought help from the royal family, both were ignored. One thing we can be thankful for is that Harrys protecting his wife the way he wished someone protected his mother, he’s the familial figure Diana needed.
A triggering fact we learn during the Oprah interview was that Meghan was suffering a severe mental health crisis whilst pregnant with Archie, even going so far as to have suicidal thoughts. It was that much of a desperate situation, she was scared to be left alone for fear of what she’d do. She went to the palace for help, but was denied any form of support in case it tarnished the royal name. With all of the power and influence the monarchy has, and all of the professional support they have access too, would they not want to support Meghan, as a member of their family, for fear of what may happen to her? It seems this wasn’t the case. Something I can’t wrap my head around even more than this heartbreaking situation is the way Meghan is now being brutalised by the media after voicing her mental health struggles. Anyone who’s ever struggled with their mental health, or any invisible illness, will know one of the most agonising things someone could do to you is to call you a liar. None of us know what goes on behind closed doors, no-one knows what battles we each face in private. No-one deserves to be treated like this.
Britain is trapped in delusions of grandiose. This may be a small island we live on, but racist beliefs hold fast and mighty. That's why it came as no surprise, to many POC in particular, that a senior member of the royal family raised concerns to Prince Harry before Archie was born about “how dark” his skin would be. Both Meghan and Harry refused to name who it was, all we know is that it was later confirmed it was neither The Queen nor Prince Philip. To be honest, it doesn’t matter who it was. What this revelation confirms is that no matter how progressive and modern the royal family seeks to appear, they still perpetrate anti-blackness. Those who chose to discredit raising this ‘concern’ as a racist one, are the same people who will never be a victim of racism, and will never understand what it feels like to be judged by the colour of your skin. Racism looks and feels very different when you’re on the receiving end. No palace, title, or position in life will ever justify racism.
It’s important to note that Meghan and Harry weren’t being paid for the Oprah interview. Even though Prince Harry has been cut off financially, he stopped receiving palace money early in 2020 and says needing to pay for his family's security was part of the motivation behind the couples deals with Disney and Netflix, they didn’t pocket a dime from this expose. So it begs the question, why come forward now? Wouldn’t you rather leave things in the past? The dust has settled, move on some may say. I cannot stress enough the courage it must have taken, for both Meghan and Harry, to speak out in light of everything. Some out there claim that Meghan’s lying for attention, but as one of the most trolled people in the world, I'm sure she’s had her fill of attention by now. People hated the interview before they’d even watched it, before it had officially aired to the public they were already forming negative opinions. Did she ever stand a chance?
I'm not jumping on the abolish the monarchy train, because I'm not sure that's going to get us anywhere. And an institution as old as the British monarchy is going to disappear without a fight. Meghan was an opportunity for the royal family to progress, to show the commonwealth countries they preside over that they’ve learnt from past mistakes. This was a chance for them to turn over a new leaf, but instead they chose to turn down multiracial modernism, which could have only been a good thing. They failed Meghan, and in broader terms they failed us, the people. I'm glad Meghan and Harry are finally living their truths, no longer trapped by royal obligations and protocol that was intent on not protecting them to save themselves. My hope for them is that the fairytale of Meghan marrying a prince can now take place, they may have at last found their happily ever after.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter to see more of what I’m up to, and I’ll see you same time same place next week!
Catch you soon,
J’Nae
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:
- How to Resist The Attention Economy by Jenny Oddell was a book that was on my ‘to-read’ list for a while. I can’t help but admit whilst there were parts that were indeed interesting and informative, I was expecting a little more help in learning how to really resist and switch off.
WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING:
- For any Michael Jordan and basketball fans out there, The Last Dance is a great 10 part documentary series offering an in-depth view into the world of The Chicago Bulls, and more.
WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:
- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is a great listen for any self-help podcasts fans, particularly her episodes with Glennon Doyle & Matt Haig. Pro tip: listen to your podcasts at 1.5x to get through them faster.
WHAT’S CAUGHT MY EYE:
- @bloomandplume is an LA based floral studio run by Maurice Harris, I love his vibrant work and the energy and persona he brings to his creations.
ON MY BLOG:
- In last week's blog post I'm dismissing the myth that it's taboo to wear the same clothes twice. I'm a lover of wearing items again and again. Not only am I getting my money's worth, but wearing clothing this way is far more environmentally friendly.
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