Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be coming to America later this month to celebrate their first Thanksgiving and Christmas as a family with their son, Archie, and the duchess’ mother, Doria Ragland. Much like the classic movie starring Eddie Murphy, these royals are in search of a life outside of their titles. It’s doubtful that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be slinging burgers at McDowell’s, but they are hitting pause and deciding what comes next.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the plans of the DDoS on Wednesday, November 13.
This decision by Harry and Meghan has been polarizing as usual. They have their supporters and the pearl clutchers continue to act as though she is a child that needs permission to go see her own mother and he an animal just being led around on a leash. At worst, she’s treated as a slave who needs to be policed and does not have the agency to come and go as she pleases. She is not owned, but born free which seems to confound the mostly white talking heads who nitpick at her every existence.
Her marriage, pregnancy, becoming a mother and the autonomy of being a woman has been filtered through a prism of misogynoir, sexism, xenophobia and good ol’ fashioned racism. Her every action, including shutting her own car door, crossing her legs and black nail polish, has been deemed as a breach of protocol by a very hostile U.K. press. It has also helped usher in the era of “Kate the Great”. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has come into her own as a living saint who can “never put a foot wrong”. Some folks have really taken up the edict of the Mississippi Mass Choir and aren’t tired yet of trashing Meghan because it exalts Kate.
Only Prince Andrew has benefited more since he can be accused of being a pedophile but still carry on his royals duties without panels demanding he renounce his title. Prince William also isn’t hounded over rumors of an affair. Qwhite interesting. As if the royals now keen to model strategies that have been out into place by Meghan.
Meghan recently admitted her struggles and will return to the U.S. with clearer eyes, far from the starry-eyed bliss she envisioned her life would become after wedding Harry. She can’t even visit her mother without it becoming scandalized and her own humanity is once again stripped. It’s all about Queen Elizabeth II’s feelings, how she’s being “snubbed”, a guilt trip about how she’s going to drop dead now at 93 and may not be around to celebrate another Christmas. Therefore, Harry and Meghan must be tethered to her just in case even though they see her every time she pops in their backyard.
Moreover, the length of days is not promised to anyone and Doria is no more mortal than the rest of us. She shouldn’t have to take a back seat to a deity who rarely publicly defends her daughter. Nor should she be less of a priority than Thomas Markle who has been complicit in the abuse of his daughter. The palace allegedly has an issue with Meghan spending face time with her mother but should be at the mercy of her father. Whiteness should not trump either Meghan’s or Doria’s humanity. The sheer entitlement to control, belittle and disparage Meghan while diminishing Doria’s significance is a cornerstone of white supremacy.
Meghan and Harry are ripe to be bitter about their good intentions being weaponized. They have promoted such causes as gender equality, environmental issues and mental health awareness but have been met with an aggrieved press demanding access into their personal lives. There is also friction within the BRF who feel that the sixth in line and his wife command far too much attention that takes away from others higher in the pecking order. It was once speculated that Harry and Meghan were being shipped off to Africa to dim their light but as shown by their recent trip to South Africa, they will shine in any location. They didn’t need any robes or tiaras to draw crowds and attention to the causes they’re passionate about. Harry and Meghan only needed to be themselves.
It was Earl Charles Spencer who famously eulogized his sister Princess Diana at Westminster Abbey when he stated that she was “someone with a natural nobility who was classless and who proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic.” The same holds true for her son and daughter-in-law.
Since their union, Meghan and Harry have modernized the monarchy and have connected with a younger and diverse demographic. Their popular Instagram was the first to announce Archie’s name and pictures. The social media platform has also allowed the Sussexes to bypass traditional media as posts regularly provide details about various engagements. This is a couple that does things their way and it has been weaponized but there’s a liberation in not being beholden to an outdated way of life. Just like Diana before them, they’re branded as political for having the courage of their convictions. The front pages savaged Diana for championing the end of landmines and were aghast when she held hands with AIDS patients. Diana was the people’s princess because there was substance to the style and that baton has been picked up. There’s a gravitational pull between the DDoS and the public. It is one that is not bound by the call of duty to the firm.
The greater calling may be what Meghan and Harry can offer to the world as individuals and a formidable duo. He is the patron of Sentebale and the Invictus Games. She has spearheaded the Smart Set clothing collection with celebrated over 10,000 items purchased and best-selling Together: Our Community Cookbook. Every item worn by Meghan usually sells out within minutes. Their fans rallied to donate thousands of dollars to charity for the #GlobalSussexBabyShower. In 2020, the philanthropic coffers of the Sussex household will most likely swell when their foundation is officially announced. Oprah and Disney C.E.O. Robert Allen Iger have already pledged their support. These are endeavors that did not need the apparatus of the British Royal Family to be successful.
To be sure, permanently moving to the United States will not suddenly will not erase all of Harry and Meghan’s woes. The press plays a vital part in our society and no one is afforded a free pass. We are also not in perfect harmony with one another as many divisions such as race and class continue to polarize. The upcoming presidential election will inflame those tensions but at the very least, we are honest about what ails our great nation. There will be no need for Harry and Meghan to maintain a stiff upper lip.
You can cuss people out as much as you want to over here. It worked for Prince Akeem.
