Some (brief) personal views on THAT interview
In my 72 years, I’ve never met a member of the British Royal Family and have never had any wish to do so. I don’t read the tabloid press so I’ve missed most of the gossip around the various royal personages. I’ve not seen one episode of “The Crown”. But I did watch the interview by Oprah Winfrey of Meghan and Harry because I knew that it would attract massive worldwide comment and I wanted to have viewed the source material so that I could make up my own mind.
My politics are unashamedly left of centre. I believe that we should have a massive and sustained redistribution of power, wealth and income to create a more egalitarian, more meritocratic and fairer society. So, to place at the apex of our society a privileged and wealthy family who are in this position simply as a historical accident of birth, is against all my political principles.
In 1946, my mother in Naples voted in a referendum to abolish the Italian monarchy. If I had the same opportunity in Britain – which I very much doubt – I would vote for a republic, but I know that this is still very much a minority position in the British electorate.
That said, I welcomed the arrival of Meghan Markle in the British Royal Family. I thought that her Americanism, her ethnicity and her professional experience all represented a breath of fresh air. She showed eloquence and empathy that was sorely needed by this outdated and out-of-touch institution.
To be honest, I can’t get upset about a dispute over flower girl dresses at a wedding, but the blatant bias and constant hounding revealed in the newspaper headlines shown in the interview is shocking and the accusations of racism, indifference and sheer lack of support for someone who was suicidal seem, to me, to be all too credible.
More than anything, I feel a sense of tragedy about it all. Meghan – in some ways like Diana – was never going to ‘fit’ into the Royal Family. As she admitted, she was naive – incredibly so. It was always going to end in tears or much worse. Meghan and Harry are well out of it and I wish them and their new family well.
As Harry indicated, other members of his family are trapped. They are victims of history, the tabloids and ultimately of a British (and indeed worldwide) public who have impossible expectations of a family that is utterly dysfunctional.
If this interview modifies expectations and brings forward a little the abolition of this archaic institution, I will be quietly pleased.
March 14th, 2021 at 2:52 pm
Thank you Roger for this very succint view of royalty and your personal politics. I’m a hundred percent in agreement with you on all that you’ve written. Kind regards as always from Guernsey. Linda (still trying to finish writing about my Dad Josef)
March 14th, 2021 at 3:04 pm
Keep on writing, Linda!
March 14th, 2021 at 4:04 pm
I agree Roger, the monarchy and all the Establishment are not my cup of tea either. Privilege should be earned not expected.
I can’t help feeling a little bit sorry for the royals though, as they are trapped in this gilded cage, but then again they could always elect to leave it…
March 14th, 2021 at 7:09 pm
Hard to leave, Pete – so much socialisation plus lack of income and security.