So I am going to avoid saying anything that looks as if I am taking sides – because every one I talk to this week seems to want to know which side I am on. I don’t believe that is right – we are talking about a family.
But I am going to say this, I saw the statement on Tuesday from Buckingham Palace and genuinely I admired it. There seemed to be a sincere expression of sorrow over the suffering of members of the family and a reaffirmation of family ties.
That is what I expect from royalty. That was dignified, diplomatic and demure. I am not a royalist, but I have an admiration for the Queen in some ways. I am not anti-royal but I don’t think there should be any kind of elite classes.
And then there is Piers Morgan who seems to have stolen the spotlight, which in some ways is helpful. I don’t hate Piers, I don’t hate anyone. But I will say this – freedom of speech – freedom to express your opinion – is a responsibility – and to put it very mildly, I don’t think he was being responsible.
Now, as far as I am concerned, the matter needs to be closed, the media need to draw a line – let the family resolve matters amongst themselves.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? 
The Queen rocks – I think I like her more than ever after this week.
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I admire her genuinely.
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It was only a matter of time for this blowout to take place. I guess if not now then at a later date. Hope it gets resolved amicably.
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So right!
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I have not been able to watch it. I don’t have any strong opinions. The situation just seems very sad. A family unable to reconcile issues privately and hanging out dirty laundry for the world to see. That is always sad.
When Harry and Meghan first left England, I assumed that it was due to mental health reasons – burnout or depression. I assumed it was Harry who was suffering more at the time, but now it sounds as if it was Meghan. I said back then people should be allowed to make decisions regarding their emotional health and well-being. I think it is about one in three or one in four people who will have mental health conditions during their life and that often includes ideas of self harm. So many people will relate to the words Meghan used. Most people are unable to escape their present circumstances and some endure distressing situations for years. But for a couple with millions of pounds between them – moving away from a situation where at least one was chronically unhappy and it was effecting her mental health – I think that they made a sensible decision. Why would you stay in a situation where you were bitterly unhappy if you could afford to abscond?
I sincerely wish them a joyful family happy life. I do not agree with putting humans on pedestals. I don’t agree with people being billionaires. I find it shocking that the economic set-up of this world allows that and yet…so many people….go to bed hungry each day and are without access to basic human needs. I find it rather disgusting that so many people live in luxury when others live in extreme poverty. So I do generally speaking switch off to anyone who is a billionaire or a millionaire who lives in a palatial dwelling. I prefer to work with other unpaid volunteers the vast majority of whom live in very modest accommodation and live simply deliberately so they can give of themselves to helping others.
As for future roles they play – either in the areas they feel passionate about as worthy causes, or in money earning roles – I would imagine they would realize that any one on the world stage – whether it be a tap-dancer, a chef, an artist, a singer, a politician, an actor….they all receive a mix of good and bad reviews. It is impossible to please everyone. Impossible. So concentrate on the audience that has warmed to you and do like what you do. Don’t let critics destroy your joy – or you will be miserable. The interview with USA royalty Opera seemed to be part of raising their image and profile and I would have thought that in the US it will create a wider audience for them, which is probably exactly what they have been advised they need at this stage. Some have questioned the timing – a year of distressing heart-breaking events has proceeded us. People have endured great stress, distress, bereavement, job-losses, depression, and more. For some that will have made them relate to Meghan’s words more. For others, it may have meant they compared their situation to hers – and who knows whether they were more or less empathetic? But I think it is is likely that any celebrity who wants to be listened to for more that ten minutes probably knows now is the time to do it….because as soon as lockdowns have lifted – everyone is going to be out there socialising and partying, at restaurants and going on vacation. If the interview had been delayed until the summer or later in the year, people may have not had as much interest.
But most people saw Meghan receive an exceptional welcome very early on into the Royal Family and many people in the UK were excited to see her joining the Royal family. I think most people just feel sad that the couple were so unhappy and chose to leave. It’s all getting very messy though….and that is partly why many feel this should have been resolved privately and not in an interview with a big media giant. There’s something uncomfortable about it. Perhaps it is my own experience that makes me uncomfortable. I chose to protect those who injured me because all I wanted was to restore peace and for relationships to heal. My situation has reversed dramatically.
Some of the newspapers and one infamous ex-breakfast news presenter seem to have had a vendetta against Meghan which was alarming. I never paid any attention to anything they said because when media entities spout out that level of poison something is seriously wrong. I cannot blame her for being upset about that. But I am not sure what Buckingham Palace’s press teams could have done. If they fight every false malicious rumour – well, there are just so many. Most people have the common sense to recognise which newspapers are utter trash. I have had a taste myself of what it is to see and hear scores of slanderous statements about oneself – and it certainly did corrode my inner confidence and joy and pushed me towards despair. So I can totally understand Meghan feeling she was at the centre of a malicious media attack. I know in my own case – being the target of malicious lies and slander came to dominate my life and blotted out the sun for some time. But what can be done to stamp it out when people allowed to say or print whatever they want virtually? I have no idea. I wish there was a law that said only think, say, write and do kind things – but sadly legal freedom of speech enshrines the right for people to be incredibly nasty. Which is a cause of great distress and pain to many.
As for the issue of racism – I saw clips on the news repeated over and over and this did seem odd. I don’t think we will ever know exactly what was said and by whom and the motive behind the words. But most people I have been in contact with this week have said they do not believe allegations made about the Royal family. I am not sure what to make of it but I saw in the statement from Buckingham Palace that it was taken seriously. One thing I will say is that during the past few years, I have people express interest in Harry and Meghan’s son and now their future baby and some of their interest has referred to how they wonder what their child will look like. But it was clear to me that their comments were a reflection of their excitement that Meghan was bringing something new to the Royal Family and not just traditional English “posh-tweed” mentality. People saw her as something exciting and fresh and energetic. They were excited at the thought of the Royal Family being more diverse. I have heard them express interest in the hopes the Royal Family would look more diverse and multi-ethic in the future – as so many modern British families are a mix of cultures or ethnic backgrounds.
I have heard people actually use words along the lines of I wonder what shade their child’s skin will be – but you know – they were simply expressing their excitement, curiosity and interest – and I know I find that kind of comment uncomfortable and I am sure others may – but I do not doubt their motive, even if they are lacking perhaps in sensibility. So the question many may have is regardless of the exact words that may have been used to express interest in Archie’s appearance prior to his birth – what was the motive?
That is sometimes when it is hard today. There are so many contentious issues – racism, sexism all sorts of discrimination. But there are also people who are not highly tuned into the sensitivities of others and do not know how to be extremely diplomatic, politically correct, how to avoid a “micro-aggression”. Most of the time I think it is clear when someone is obviously motivated by hateful feelings, or negative emotions such as envy, resentment, prejudice. However, when someone clearly has no intent to cause hurt, but just does not realize that someone may interpret their use of a word, or a phrase, as offensive – well – it is an ongoing challenge. It really is.
Large scale education about discrimination has been important, but at the same time, I am not sure the balance is always quite right on a small scale. I have seen some tense situations due to genuine misunderstandings that became rather nasty. It is sad that divisions seem to keep cutting deeper and deeper and segregating people.
In all honesty though, nobody has mentioned Harry and Meghan since the devastating news of the young woman abducted in Clapham broke. People are devastated by that.
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I think Caramel that the truth is everyone has a story of being misunderstood, misjudged, mistreated. A lot of complaints are legit. Some complaints are someone losing perspective and only seeing themselves and their own importance. It is hard to call sometimes.
I just think if you cannot stick two years in a family and seize your chance to bitch about them on Opera – that’s not nice. That’s not nice. I totally feel for her if she really lost the will to live. If she was that ill then they did the right thing moving themselves away from a situation they were unhappy in. It shatters all allusions about living in a palace and wearing fancy clothes. But man, there is something wrong with this picture. Something does not add up about them. I think they are both damaged people and are not dealing with their disappointments well. Dissing family on such a massive public platform – that’s brutal.
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