Wow! That was a lot of royal baggage to unpack.
I’m speaking of the Oprah interview with Meghan and Harry as everybody is this week.
It had it all, didn’t it? Drama, romance, race, intrigue, shadowy figures, and money.
What gives me the right to be a Tuesday quarterback? Just the same as most of the rest of the globe. I watch The Crown. I love tea and crumpets, and yes, I own a tiara. So, obviously I am incredibly qualified to chime in.
I felt one way going into the interview about the couple’s life decisions and their exit from the royal family. I watched the two-hour interview intently, hoping my feelings would dramatically change, but to be honest, they did not.
Let me admit, off the top, I really like and admire the royal family. I am starstruck by the glamour. I appreciate the pomp and circumstance, and respect the sense of duty. I was completely sucked into the magic of Meghan and Harry’s wedding day, so I am not a hater.
Having said that, I just can’t get past the feeling that Meghan is not exactly as advertised. It’s a gut feeling, really. She paints a pretty picture, or in this case an ugly picture of life behind the palace walls. There’s just something behind her eyes that doesn’t ring true to me. She plays the victim very well. I hope I’m wrong.
Despite a lot of jaw-dropping revelations which, if true, are horrible, frightening and not acceptable — there is something nagging at me that all is not as its portrayed.
I thought there was nobody better to do that interview than Oprah. It was like listening to a conversation between friends. She asked all the questions I had in my mind and drilled down on many issues that were just sort of left hanging out there.
There were just things that still don’t make sense.
At the very beginning, Meghan said she never Googled or searched for information about the prince she was dating. Really? She was a modern, working woman and she never stalked her boyfriend on social media?
I don’t believe that. If she didn’t, her girlfriends did and reported back.
She didn't know what to expect? I could have lent her a few books and movies to bone up.
Her mother had no idea Princess Diana had ever done an interview? One of the most controversial and iconic interviews in history? (You know the one: “There were three people in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”) How could she have avoided knowing that?
Your daughter is marrying into the royal family and you don’t do a deep dive into history? That seems very odd.
Of course, that’s all the superficial stuff.
How about when it comes to the incessant tabloid gossip about Meghan? That seems much more believable. I have no doubt it happened and that it hurt her. It must have been very painful. Nobody should have to endure that and the impact it had on her mental health was very disturbing.
I can see how it would feel very lonely, even in a castle, as rumours swirled about you. The fact she was muzzled must have been hard to handle.
The question for me is: Why couldn’t she get help? I am not victim blaming. I am blaming anyone who didn't hear her cries for help.
All the younger royals have taken on mental health as one of their platforms, speaking about it at various conferences and in interviews. It just doesn’t make sense that nobody listened to Meghan.
If they, as a couple, could pull off a secret wedding ceremony in the garden days before the official televised ceremony, could they not bring in a doctor or counsellor privately? Sneak one through in a laundry truck? Take her to a facility and call it the spa? There had to be a way.
When they decided to step back from the royal duties, I could understand maybe they wanted to have a new life in a new location for their growing family. Then, it began to sound like maybe they wanted everything on their own terms.
They would help out with speaking duties or ribbon-cuttings if it worked for them.
There was a lot of chatter about security. Why does someone else have to pay for their protection? Can’t they pay for their own?
They wouldn’t be getting Netflix and Disney deals if it weren’t for who they are. I think they have to decide if they want the fame or they don't. Can public figures expect to have it both ways?
I feel sincerely sorry for Harry, who comes off as completely genuine. The family trauma is pretty evident. It seems very sad to me that there is now a rift between him and his brother, Prince William. He and William are the only two who truly knew what they went through in childhood and beyond. That connection should never be broken. Nobody should come between them. I don't think a new family should ever replace your biological one, or vice versa.
The admission Prince Charles stopped taking his youngest son’s calls was also heartbreaking.
To my mind, the only member of the family who has consistently chosen service over self has been the Queen. She came off as kind and fair. Even she can’t do everything she wants to do. Let that sink in.
The firm is in charge. It’s the family business, but there are still rules, policies, protocols and bosses. Someone is pulling the strings. That was abundantly clear. It all comes down to power and money.
None of it sounds like a fairytale to me. I just have a horrible feeling that Harry will have given it all up for love and then find himself alone.
Truly, a man without a country.
