The long and in eagerly awaited interview with Oprah Winfrey, released exclusively to CBS, promised – at least hinted at – great revelations, the kind of news that is expected to change the course of history. It was not so. Harry and Meghan’s revelations, sitting in the verdant garden of their home in Montecito, California, have only reignited the debate between the couple who fled to the United States and the Crown, or rather, the Royal family. Yes, because between the affairs of the Crown and the gossip of the Palace there is a big difference. There is no doubt that what Meghan said is to be taken seriously.
The Duchess of Sussex said that in her time as a member of the family, she experienced suicidal thoughts and that a senior royal had racist conversations about the color of her baby’s skin (Meghan is half African American). Harry, whose mother Diana was killed when he was a boy, said he was “terrified” by his wife’s admission. The prince, who is sixth in line to the throne, said there is a culture of suffering in silence in the royal family. But Meghan’s race and the abuse she endured made the situation even more difficult for the couple, and their perceived lack of support ultimately led, above all other factors, to their dramatic decision to quit as working royals in January 2020.
Harry talked of a lack of support and understanding for the toll that royal life took on the couple’s mental health, and added that the attacks they had suffered in the media could have come from “within the institution.” Harry then revealed some aspects about their financial situations admitting that the Royal family cut his funding in early 2020 after announcing plans to step down from his roles. He and Meghan use the money his mother, Princess Diana, bequeathed, and for this, he explained, they entered into agreements with Netflix and Spotify.
Now what effect did they want to produce with these declarations? A Crown certainly does not destabilize itself with some accusations of racist attitude within the walls of the building, nor from banal and adolescent quarrels between sisters-in-law on the question “which dress should Charlotte wear as a bridesmaid at Meghan’s wedding”.
The racial question passes from London to probably is directed to the 16 countries of the Commonwealth, countries between Latin America and Oceania, where the population is also skinned black and is subject to Her Majesty as Head of State. Here in these countries the declarations and the words of the Dukes of Sussex could lead to possible reactions. It is true on the other hand that Harry, while the controversy broke out, made it clear that it was neither Queen Elizabeth nor Prince Philip who raised concerns and discussions about what would be the skin color of his eldest son and Meghan, Archie.
The popular effect of their statements do not undermine the stability of the Crown because they are born – and are seen – as a great business event. It is no coincidence that in the meager video pills made available to other world media by CBS there are above all the most salable statements of Meghan in the world, because they touch that politically correct that has taken root everywhere.
Unfortunately, the image of Harry and Meghan that comes from their CBS interview did not put them in a good light in the face of popular opinion, the couple appeared more taken by a vindictive and petty attempt rather than the need to confide personal facts. If the intent was to find the same clamor that Diana’s statements made in her 1995 interview – the one that shook the castles – then they missed the shot, resulting in a trivial adolescent outburst, capricious, inappropriate and out of place. If you have to shoot to hit, aim well, otherwise try another path.
The response by the Queen in an official statement
Queen Elizabeth issued a statement Tuesday in response to the bombshell interview that her grandson, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave to American TV host Oprah Winfrey. “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement released on behalf of the queen. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.” the statement read.
