Duke and Duchess Harry and Meghan have made the decision to leave their post as Senior Royals. This has created a lot of both positive and negative feedback for the newly married couple.
Many have argued that it is wrong for the pair to leave their duties as Royals while still getting paid from the public, but they have also come out with a statement that they do not want to rely on public funds any longer. Therefore, there will be a transition in which they are going to be working to become financially independent.
The public has also turned against Prince William and Princess Kate, assuming that William bullied his brother out of the family. Interestingly, this is partly coming from those defending Harry and Meghan's decision due to the harassment that they have received. This is why I'm grateful William and Harry have released a joint statement against claims of division between the brothers. The statement is as follows,
"For brothers who care so much about mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful."
Harry has always been protective of his family, which has meant coming to the defense of William. They clearly share a bond as brothers who have grown up together, who have stood up for each other at their weddings, and have experienced the loss of their mother together. I believe its wrong for their relationship to be torn apart or judged based on here-say and rumors. Harry spoke about their relationship troubles in his documentary Harry and Meghan: An African Journey, and while he expressed they have had good and bad days, he ended with,
"But I love him dearly and you know the majority of the stuff is probably – well, the majority of the stuff is created out of nothing."
Their bond is important, just as the relationship is between Harry and Meghan. The public commenting on it and trying to create more a rift between them is only going to cause more damage, instead of helping them to resolve their struggles.
Moving on to Harry and Meghan, the public has not been kind to the couple of Royals. One look at the comparison of tabloid titles for Meghan and then Kate will tell you that. Much of it is based on the Duchess being from Hollywood, but racism definitely plays a big part in it as well. I have to assume that the vitriol she and Harry have experienced since their courtship is a significant reason why they are leaving their post. As stated earlier, Harry has always said that he will protect his family. Meghan and their child together is his family, and he is putting them first. Nobody should see that decision as anything less than honorable.
In the couples documentary, Harry and Meghan: An African Journey, the pair also spoke about the struggles they've faced since their wedding. Meghan particularly shared how it's been difficult as women of color, as someone that is not British, and as a new mother to handle the pressures of becoming a Royal and dealing with a new public opinion. She even got emotional when admitting that no one had really asked if she was okay.
Meanwhile, Harry spoke about the wound left by his mothers death and whether he felt any peace with it yet. His answer is as follows,
"I think probably a wound that festers. I think being part of this family, in this role, in this job, every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash it takes me straight back so in that respect it's the worst reminder of her life as opposed to the best. Being here now 22 years later trying to finish what she started will be incredibly emotional but everything that I do reminds me of her. But as I said with the role, with the job, and the sort of pressures that come with that I get reminded of the bad stuff, unfortunately. But as I said with the role, with the job, and the sort of pressures that come with that I get reminded of the bad stuff, unfortunately."
Living in the public eye is no easy feat. Outsiders look at Royalty as this magical concept we grew up watching on Disney Princess movies. We think that being a Prince or becoming a Princess is a dream come true, but real life is not a fairytale. Harry and Meghan are just trying to live their lives, and they are constantly bombarded with those seeking to hurt them. They have both had to go so far as to sue tabloids. Dealing with negativity being thrown at you can feel impossible, and they've opened up about that. Harry even shared that his biggest fear is history repeating itself, in that what happened to his mother will happen to his wife. His quote is as follows,
"My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I see my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces."
Nobody should have to live that way. If leaving is their way out of that, we all need to be understanding and compassionate towards to it. At the end of the day, they have to make the best decisions for their family, and this is one that really causes no harm to others.
I will leave you with this quote from Meghan Markle that she shared in the documentary, Harry and Meghan: An African Journey:
"It's just not enough to just survive something, right? You've got to thrive, you've got to feel happy."
