TOP LEVEL GOSSIPS

In January 2020, when Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle announced their intention to give up their main regal duties, to leave the UK and to be financially independent, the almost forgotten talks about ‘something rotten in the state of Britain’ revived again. At the end of February 2021, Queen Elizabeth II confirmed that Harry and Meghan will indeed "no longer fulfil their public duties", but at the same time "will remain dearly loved members of the family."

However, after just a few weeks, on March 7, it became clear that the story was not over yet. Meghan and Harry told a lot of interesting things in a scandalous interview with the famous American TV host Oprah Winfrey. Some observers still view the interview as a direct threat to the British monarchy. Now that the passions have subsided a little and a broader picture begins to emerge, let’s try to figure out whether this is really so.

Kings fail too

The heaviest punch thrown at the British royal court by the grandson of Elizabeth II and his wife was the accusation of racism. Meghan first complained that when she was pregnant, she was told that her child with Harry would neither be given the title of prince nor receive security like the rest of the royal family. When Oprah asked "do you think it's because of his race?", Meghan gave a quite unambiguous answer: "In those months when I was pregnant, … [there were] concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born."

Harry confirmed everything but also refused to give names, adding only after the broadcast that the older generation of the family, the Queen and Prince Philip, was not involved in that conversation. Harry also said that what upset him most was the fact that, unlike dozens of parliamentarians, members of the royal family did not condemn the publications of the British tabloids, which discussed Meghan's race. "It hurts," Harry said.

In addition, Meghan admitted that after the wedding, she had to follow all the rules prescribed for the members of the royal family that made her feel as a captive in the palace. Everything was so bad that she felt lonely and seriously thought about suicide. According to Meghan, she turned to several high-ranking officials of the royal court, asking them to help her apply the professionals, but she was refused. The interview also followed a few more revelations about Meghan's relationship with Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William, and Prince Harry's relationship with his father, Prince Charles. Harry called the British monarchy "Western" and said that he had a huge compassion for his father and brother because they are trapped and they don’t get to leave.

Harry's mother's shadow

For many, the effect of the interview could be compared to the legendary interview of Princess Diana made in 1995. There are really many parallels. For example, Prince Harry's mother also complained about the suffocating living conditions at the court, depression, bulimia, self-torture and suicidal thoughts. Harry also stated that he was worried that his mother's story would repeat itself with Meghan. The youngest son of Lady Dee has repeatedly admitted psychological problems that he constantly had to overcome since childhood, and especially after his mother died.

But perhaps Harry's suffering was not in vain. In late March, he became a director at BetterUp, a California-based coaching and mental health company.

Thus, in the interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan present themselves as victims, gentle people who keep up with the times striving for personal freedom and independence. The royal court, on the other hand, found itself in another crisis. BBC quotes Princess Diana’s biographer and former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown that the interview was "a kryptonite for the royal family" (kryptonite is a fictional substance from comics that makes superheroes vulnerable). It couldn't be expressed better. Does it mean that the British monarchy is indeed approaching a point of no return, which may become even clearer after the end of the reign of Elizabeth II? What will be the reaction of the fans of the royal family, which, according to various estimates, make at least two-thirds of the total population of Britain?

Remarkably, as soon as you start typing the words “why do the British love...” in Google, one of the first most popular endings for the phrase will be “queen”. In other words, no matter how perplex the global situation is, for the Britons, the institution of monarchy is the personification of "good old England", a synonym for traditional values, a kind of anchor in a stormy and constantly changing world. The question, however, is how much Britain may be adaptive to the changes taking place around the world in recent years, when the increasing number of age-old ideals are sinking into the oblivion. What will happen when the generations born under the reign of Elizabeth II are gradually replaced by new ones?

According to the head of the anti-monarchist organization Republic, Graham Smith, "for the sake of Britain or for the sake of young members of the royal family, this rotten institution must disappear. We deserve better than that. The monarchy will forever remain a part of our history. It shouldn't be part of our future,” Smith said. The age of printed tabloids, paparazzi and television with the annual Christmas congratulations from the queen is gradually fading under the increasing power of bloggers who do not recognise the authority of eternal ideals. Therefore, shocking revelations such as the interview given by Harry and Meghan may well be the way to go for the future suggested by Graham Smith.

Yet, are the position and statements of the Duke and Duchesse of Sussex so extraordinary as they seem to be? As a matter of fact, should we refresh our memory with the incidents the British monarchy has managed to survive all these years, everything does not look that scary. For example, Diana's admission to BBC that she had an affair with Colonel James Hewitt. Or the recent accusations against Prince Andrew of his ties with the notorious financier Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew eventually expressed his willingness to cooperate with the law enforcement and leave all his posts, but the story is not over yet. Also, the life of the uncle of Elizabeth II, King Edward VIII, is especially remarkable. His heart was also captured by the divorced American actress Wallis Simpson. To marry her, Edward even abdicated the throne in December 1936. This could be considered one of the most beautiful love stories in the world, if not for the ambiguous reputation of Wallis and Edward, their friendship with the top officials of Nazi Germany, as well as suspicions that the king himself had some mental disabilities.

By the way, Harry is also far from perfect. Even with his past love affairs that only add a certain charm to his persona, it’s difficult to attribute to his youth and inexperience the fact that in 2005 (when Harry was 20 years old) he chose a Nazi uniform as a costume for a masquerade party... After marrying Meghan, he was accused of spending too much money on renovating their new accommodation - Frogmore Cottage in Windsor Park. The couple was accused of violating the traditions of the palace (for example, they refused to name the godparents of their son), flying on vacation in a private jet (despite their assurances of commitment to environmental protection), as well as the dismissal of two employees of the Buckingham Palace allegedly by Meghan Markle.

BLM the British style

In fact, there was nothing particularly sensational in the widely discussed interview with Oprah Winfrey. But… accusations of racism. These suspicions about some of the members or close associates of the British royal court sound so serious because they take place amid the mass repentance in the United States, which has already shaped into a national idea, before the black population of the country.

In the summer of 2020, large-scale protests erupted in the United States after the death of an African American George Floyd during his detention by white police officers. The Floyd story triggered the Black Lives Matter (BLM) social movement. The movement has slowly passed both beyond the US borders and the very idea that all white men are unpardonably guilty before the descendants of black slaves now populating various continents. The number of ‘victims’ gradually included other ‘oppressed’ - members of the LGBT community, people suffering from mental disorders, and so on. So Meghan's statements about her plans for suicide fit the ongoing global trend pretty well, either by accident or on purpose.

Not surprisingly, a number of British Labour MPs demanded an investigation into the incident, declaring the inadmissibility of racism. There were also rumours that the members of the royal court are mercantile, callous and interested only in their reputation. Naturally, the Buckingham Palace had to react to this too. First, they declared that the British royal family took the issues mentioned in the interview seriously and that they would be privately dealt with by the family. Secondly, they promised to review all the existing programs related to the support of minority rights.

Even the queen expressed no particular doubts, although Harry and Meghan have no evidence to prove their words. Moreover, it would be interesting to know the context of the question asked by the highly experienced and also black Oprah Winfrey. Perhaps the question about the skin colour of the couple’s child by one of the members of the royal family was just a trivial curiosity and quite natural, when people of so different appearance are married. Meanwhile, this is another impressive spot on the reputation of the royal family, and it seems that no one is going to answer these questions yet.

President Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry?

Remarkably, some observers believe that the scandal in the royal family fits perfectly into the recent global events marked by the confrontation between the old traditional and the new digital worlds. If so indeed, it is easy to guess the supporters of each side. By the way, there were rumours that Markle has met with representatives of the US Democratic Party to discuss the possibility of nominating her candidacy for presidency in the future. The former President Donald Trump, immediately responded by expressing his hope that the wife of Prince Harry will really run for the post in 2024. According to Trump, if Markle does announce her presidential ambitions, this will make him more inclined to do the same.

During his term in the office, Trump said that the US would not pay for the security of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle when they move to the country. In September 2020, he wished good luck to Prince Harry as the husband of Meghan Markle after the couple made a video supporting the Democratic candidate Joseph Biden, although the video does not explicitly mention this support. Trump has repeatedly expressed his respect to Queen Elizabeth II, who, according to him, ruled "flawlessly" and "has never made a mistake."

As funny as these opinions might sound, Meghan may indeed be the perfect presidential candidate for today's America. A beautiful, young and famous black woman who is not afraid to protest and defend her opinion even in the most difficult situations. In other words, presidential ambitions of Prince Harry's wife may well be translated into reality. This is indirectly confirmed by the fact that if the couple really wanted to enjoy a quiet and low-profile life away from the royal court, they could probably have done this without any hype, including loud statements, interviews and lawsuits. But it all looks like a good start for a political campaign, after which the title of "British Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle" may well be replaced with another one: "the US President Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry"...

Indeed, if for many Trump was a byword for the traditional conservative part of America, the same is true for the British royal family, which is also often referred to simply as The Firm, which here means not only the immediate relatives of Elizabeth II, but all the people affiliated with the court, including the advisers, secretaries, staff of the press service, various assistants as the working parts of the system and its profitability. Moreover, it is very difficult to get hired by the Firm. Therefore, the British royal institution is really no different than any ordinary firm or corporation with its own hierarchy, goals, rules and internal ethics.

Incidentally, Harry and Meghan rebelled against the system, rather than against specific members of the family - grandmother, brother or father. But then all the speculations about the lack of personal freedom seem strange. After all, no one would ever think to get offended that the employing company or corporation does not allow you to manage your working time as you wish and show your individuality, or to constantly criticize the work of the press service of the company. Hence all the claims expressed in the interview seem ungrounded and even infantile.

Again, with the exception of accusations of racism and disregard for personal psychological problems. Thus, British journalist and TV presenter Pierce Morgan left the morning show Good Morning Britain on ITV because he questioned Meghan's words about her thoughts of suicide and the fact that she was denied help. On the evening of March 9, British media regulator Ofcom announced that it had received more than 41,000 complaints about Morgan's behaviour. Ian Murray, Executive Director of the British Society of Editors, has also left his post. Two years earlier, BBC fired the 61-year-old host Danny Baker for his racist tweet involving Harry and Meghan's son. These moments, unlike discussions on who burst into tears first - Meghan or Kate, look very, very serious.

There is one more important point, which is often untouched in the media about the British Firm. Royal power in Great Britain is not at all nominal, as it is presented in some tourist guidebooks, and sometimes even in school textbooks. The monarch rarely publicly expresses her opinion on any occasion. But at the same time, she has a rather specific and significant influence on many decisions made by the cabinet and the parliament. And if we look at the ongoing events from this point of view, then Harry and Meghan's "escape from the palace" looks in completely different colours.