The Difference With Meghan Markle

Why Don't They Believe Meghan? 

     I will begin this post by acknowledging that we all know why. Meghan Markle is a biracial American actress. Any one of those things is grounds for the public to discredit her, but all three form the perfect trifecta for the general public to dismiss her. As a woman of color, she is never allowed to complain about anything, even blatant racism without the Piers Morgans of the world claiming she is trying to "play the race card".  That just shows the privilege of the media. This is not a game, this is her life and her trauma. 

Setting the Scene    

     During the reign of Queen Victoria, the role of the monarchy dramatically shifted. What started as the autocratic divinely-ordained ruler of one of the largest empires this world has ever seen transformed into simply the figurehead that tied the whole thing together. Throughout the 20th century, their role shifted even more, as they are now a weird mixture of a living historical monument and a tax-payer funded celebrity family. I am not British, nor am I citizen of any of the Commonwealths, so I am not commenting on the necessity (or lack thereof) of the monarchy (nor is this post intended to disparage the Royal Family. The reader may come to their own conclusions), but simply explaining this shift, because it is important. In the start of the 20th century, the monarchy was seen as justified, or even a necessity for Britain's perseverance, but by the end of World War II, public opinion changed. Much of this change and modernization took place in Elizabeth's reign. Navigating this modernization remains Elizabeth's biggest challenge, and will be her successors' biggest challenge as well. 

    Despite modernization in the 20 century, the institution of the monarchy is anything but modern. Successful PR and romanticizations have successfully portrayed the royal family as a celebrity family with a fairy-tale twist. However, as Meghan Markle pointed out in the Oprah interview, the royal family is not like a celebrity family, and it certainly is not a fairytale. This is because, at its essence, the monarchy is still a hundreds of year old institution built to govern and symbolize British authority, patriotism, and tradition, but a little bit of tradition goes a long way. Some would argue that members of the institution are still stuck in the "glory days" of the monarchy, where a hyper conservative family at the country's center is needed. On the other hand, there is a definite cultural mismatch when the Royal Family is at least fifty years behind the rest of the world (including the outsiders marrying into the family). 

    Elizabeth, to her credit, has done a lot to modernize the institution, but if The Crown and Meghan herself showcase, even Her Majesty answers to someone. Figures such as Diana and Meghan exposing the true nature of the institution have raised questions about the speed of modernization. Due to those controlling forces around the Queen, whomever they may be, the monarchy is not moving fast enough. We all generally accept this assessment, and acknowledge the criticism presented by those inside and outside of the Royal Family. So, why, when Meghan airs her grievances, the "silent majority" refuses to believe her?

Voices of Royals Past

    As previously stated, there are a few factors that affect Meghan's perceived credibility, most important of which, is her race, but I know there will be critics of my opinions of this, so lets look at how people reacted when other members of the family spoke out. The difference is clear.     

    The institution has always been toxic and controlling. Sexism, racism, classism, and homophobia have controlled the monarchy since its formation, but its 2021, things should be different right? Well, clearly they aren't, and if you've been paying attention, that shouldn't surprise you. Even if you want to write off everything that pre-dated Queen Victoria's death, and start in 1901, the age of the "modern monarchy" you should still see the toxicity. Multiple members of the family have spoken out or cried for help, and, to the credit of the Royal Family and institution, they hated all of these voices equally. The public, on the other hand, supported, and often adored these Royal critics, yet, for some reason, when it comes to Meghan Markle, speaking out is now controversial. The difference between Meghan can be seen just by looking at them. 

    Edward VIII was charismatic and filled with personality. When he left the monarchy in order to marry Wallis Simpson, the institution was furious. The public, on the other hand, had mixed feelings, but it is clear they understood his position. Viewers of The Crown even sympathize with Edward VIII's position, even after learning of his Nazi ties. Even today, in 2021, public opinion about Edward VIII is clear; he may have been a Nazi, but his complaints against the Royal Family are valid. 

    Fast forward to Princess Margaret's young-adulthood, where she gets wrapped up in a similar dating scandal, when she wishes to marry Peter Townshend. Margaret broke all of the rules, was clearly unhappy, and she gained the sympathy from much of the general public, albeit not necessarily the media. Even today, Margaret's story is often used as the prime example of royal toxicity and their lack of concern for the members of their family. 

    Edward VIII and Princess Margaret were both born into the family, but it is clear that was not the source of their credibility according to the public. Diana often criticized the Royal Family. She famously gave her own interview, which is eerily similar to the one that Meghan and Harry gave with Oprah. She criticized the exact same things that Meghan did, even referenced mental health, and the lack of empathy within the institution. This interview is often applauded as one of the bravest things she's ever done. When Meghan did it, she was condemned for seeking attention. The difference is clear. Diana, though a critique, was a member of one of Britain's oldest and aristocratic families. Meghan, on the other hand, is a biracial woman from LA. It's not hard to understand where the disconnect is. Especially because Meghan has already faced disgusting racist attacks by the media and the general public via social media. 

No Sympathy for Meghan

    Oprah showed examples of the media's attack on Meghan Markle. Anyone on twitter can see the racist undertones used not only by the media, but by the general public as well. Take the example with Kate and Meghan. From the start, the two were pitted against each other by the media. This division of women in the media is not uncommon, but there is an added layer to this because, despite absolutely no proof, Meghan was always made out to be the aggressor. Always. Even in the interview, by simply clarifying the story with the flower girl dresses, and saying she forgave Kate and that Kate was a good person, the general public and the media have labelled Meghan as "shady" and stirring the pot by simply telling her side of the story. 

    Meghan called for peace and understanding in the press-created feud between her and Kate, yet people are still portraying this as some kind of attack from Meghan. The bottom line is, Meghan's race has everything to do with it. Diana, Margaret, and even Fergie were often rebels, and critics of the Royal Family, yet they still remain popular figures in British Royal History, yet Meghan, who has done less than any of them, is seen as an outsider trying  to destroy the monarchy. Harry has spoken about issues for years, yet people understood his position. Now, when he finally left, it's one hundred percent Meghan's fault, like some kind of evil seductress who stole the nation's former heartthrob. 

    The only difference between Meghan and these beloved figures (Diana, Harry, Margaret, etc.) is race. Even still, Harry remains popular, while Meghan is blamed for all of this. Women of color are often painted as the aggressor for simply existing, and we see that with Meghan. 

    There clearly is a large portion of people that do support Meghan, and that is clear, but the issue is still deemed as controversial. Why would someone sharing their drama ever be considered controversial? Diana also shared her trauma, was that controversial? No. So clearly the issue was not because they were married into royalty. I am rehashing this point because it needs to be explicitly clear. You can go down the list and compare Diana to Meghan in every single way. They both married in. They both were charitable. They both were seen as modern influences. They were both were seen as "rule breakers". The list goes on and on. There are only two major differences between the two women. One, their race, and two, the public only believes one of them. This isn't the "race card", this isn't liberal propaganda, these are the facts. 

We Stand With You Meghan

- B