Whatever side of the coin you flipped, I think we can all agree that Meghan & Harry succeeded in pulling back the curtain British tabloids/press relentless attacks on them. The same press, many argue, who led to Diana’s tragic end. There were several issues of concern that were raised in Meghan and Harry’s multi-bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, with viewers’ opinions split 50/50. On twitter, the hashtags #TeamMeghan, and #TeamQueen have been trending even before this ‘tell-all’ interview aired.
Some individuals argue that Meghan’s brilliant timing for the interview was perfect, considering she’s currently pregnant with her second child, a girl, as the former Duchess aired out much of her grievances with “The Firm” and the racism she encountered, along with the diminishment of her mental health. Others point out that the scheduling was inconsiderate considering Prince Philip was just in the hospital for heart surgery. Also disregarding the fact that there is currently a worldwide suffering of the pandemic with many losing loved ones, jobs and much more.
In the discussion with Winfrey, Harry mentioned that when he left the monarchy, the Royal family had “cut him off financially”, and that he had to use his inherited trust so that they could leave a ‘palace’ and afford their 14MM house and security for their family in Montecito, California. While some were disgruntled by Harry’s privileged upbringing, others praised him for defending, supporting, and protecting his wife. Actions that Diana’s Prince hadn’t bothered to do.
Prior to meeting the Royal family, Meghan had not looked up her husband’s history and simply thought that meeting the Queen would be like any other celebrity encounter. Wearing Diana’s bracelet, she also admitted she didn’t know what it would be like entering the Royal Family. This left many people questioning the authenticity of her words and wondering how she could not know what she was getting into. Nonetheless, she did emphasize the importance of mental health, and ‘called out’ the very institution that also failed to protect Diana. In referencing British tabloids/press harsh attacks on her, she was able to attain an apology from Her Majesty herself. Additionally, infamous English broadcaster Piers Morgan was prompted to resign from his show after his negatives quips about Meghan and Harry. Another theme was that one does not simply know what another is going through, although it might look fairytail-esque.
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One thing both sides of the debate can agree on is how the British tabloids/press were ruthless and seemed to be taking sides by “protecting others”. Meghan’s comments were similar to Diana’s own allegations 25 years back in her own famous interview with Martin Bashir.
Unlike the tragedy of Diana’s ending, Winfrey seemed to emphasize that the couple now have a happy ending, as Meghan has “found her prince”. Meghan pointed out that they “remain on the other side”, “can live authentically” and make their own living now with Netflix and Spotify streaming deals. “We aren’t just striving, we are thriving”.
