Since 2016 when former actress Meghan Markle publicized her relationship with Prince Harry, the British public have constantly voiced their unwelcoming opinions on almost everything she does. She has been criticized for what she wears, what she says- apparently Markle can’t do anything to make these people happy.
The question is, why Meghan? She seems like a perfectly respectable woman- she even gave up her job as a successful actress to be in the Royal family.
I think the answer is simple, prejudice. There has never been a woman of color, let alone an American woman, who has married into the royal family. Apparently British citizens hate change, and have a historically biased and discriminatory opinion on the way they think the royal family should ‘look’.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have recently announced that they are going to become financially independent from the Royal Family in order to live a life free of the restrictions that come with their titles.
As expected, this announcement has come with major backlash from people who believe they handled the situation wrong, or are making a bad decision.
Now the question remains, what do these people really want? They ridiculed Meghan Markle from the moment she stepped foot in the British press, and now they are condemning her for leaving and blaming her from taking their beloved Prince Harry from the royal family.
It is extremely sad that a clear factor in the hatred and judgement that the British public and British press have for Markle is because of racism. Despite the excuses, she has been targeted for years because she is biracial, and people do not believe this is what the royal family should appear as.
A similar experience occurred with Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana. She was a force of nature, and nothing like the royal family had seen before. Princess Diana did not confine to the rules of the royal family. She was an activist, a style icon, and overall very influential during her time as a princess.
The masses loved her, but it always seemed as if Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth had a complicated relationship.
The royal family simply does not want to stray from historical stereotypes. They remain stagnant, and are the opposite of progressive.
What people fail to remember is that Prince Harry had a wild past. But, despite this, people still loved him. The royal family does not like change, and if someone different marries in the family they are immediately hated.
Prince Harry is simply protecting his wife and family. No one should have to endure the pain of being ridiculed daily by the public and the press for simple things. I believe Meghan and Harry made the right decision to leave, and that the royal family needs to re-evaluate their morals and treatment of members of the family.
In addition to this, the British public and press need to realized the people they are writing about are real people, and their words have consequences. Meghan Markle and her family deserve a life in peace.