For the British royal family, following protocols, heeding traditions and even respecting the hierarchy of power comes first above all else. This very defining attribute of the British monarchy is what many believe to be the reason why up until today, their relevance and values are still being kept and passed on to the generations to come.
One of the most notable traditions and protocols that the royal family has followed in the past few decades is focusing the public’s attention on the next person in line to the throne.
During the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the focus was heavily directed toward Charles III and his controversial marriage with Princess Diana, their family life, eventual divorce and his second marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles. While Charles got a lot of attention, his sister and brothers, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were rarely the centers of attention.
In the past few years, it would seem like the media landscape on the coverage of the British royal family has changed and shifted, especially with the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Now that King Charles acceded to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth that makes Prince William the first in line to the throne, followed by his three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, putting Prince Harry as the fourth in line to the throne.
The new explosive documentary that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released via Netflix talks about Prince Harry’s thoughts on how unfair and abusive the British media’s coverage of him and his wife Meghan has been. Harry voiced his disappointment and frustration with how the media’s bias transcended to actual trauma for his wife.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan, Duchess of Cambridge (2018), (Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan have had everyone streaming their newly-released documentary series, “Harry & Meghan,” because of the mountain of revelations they’ve revealed about their side of the story.
Throughout the series, it was openly pointed out by the royal couple that the British press was relentless in its unfair coverage of their lives, to the point that their own security and personal space were invaded just to get the first-hand scoop about their daily lives,
Even before her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan became one of the most popular female royals at the time, beating out Kate Middleton along the way. According to an Express poll released at the time, Meghan was the second most relatable royal member, trailing behind Harry at No. 1. Meanwhile, Kate was only at No. 5, with many people believing that she became less relatable and felt like she was “molded into someone else” after her wedding to Prince William.
“Harry & Meghan” succinctly narrates how Meghan’s popularity shot up at the start of her relationship with Harry. Eventually, as they had their wedding in May 2018, the reporting on Meghan’s life and actions as she threaded among royal life was heightened.
For one of Meghan’s friends, it was the couple’s trip to Australia in October 2018 that became the “real turning point” for their relationship with the royal family, as it symbolically evoked the same feeling they had decades ago with Princess Diana.
“The work they were doing (at the trip), the speeches they were giving, the people they were meeting, it seemed to be amazing,” Lucy Fraser, Meghan’s friend, said in an interview. “I think Australia was the real turning point because they were so popular.”
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (2019), (Richard Pohle-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
But then the comparison between Kate and Meghan grew exponentially apart. The show even had a montage of the same actions that the two Duchesses did prior, illustrating how the same act led Kate to be praised and Meghan to be condemned.
Among the many headlines that were shown in the documentary, the article that The Sun published in 2019 stood out among the rest.
“The issue is when someone who is marrying in, who should be a supporting, a supporting act, is then stealing the limelight or is doing the job better than the person who is born to do this, that upsets people. It shifts the balance,” Prince Harry said in the documentary.
As Harry narrated, videos of Kate on royal engagements flashed along with Meghan’s magazine covers — seemingly signifying that the two were vying for the spotlight to become more relevant than the other.
“You’ve been led to believe that the only way that your charities can succeed and the only way that your reputation can be grown or improved is if you’re on the front page of the newspapers,” Harry added.
For example, a 2017 fluff article published by Express noted that Prince William gifted Kate an avocado as a possible cure for her pregnancy morning sickness. On the other hand, when the internet crowned Meghan an “avocado on toast whisperer,” the same publication — published two years apart — unraveled the fruit’s dark history linking it to drugs, environmental devastation and even murder.
“If you don’t see the difference and understand why it’s being reported that way, then I can’t help you,” Harry continued.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (2022), (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)Have you watched “Harry & Meghan”? What do you think of the reporting on Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton? Do you agree or disagree with Prince Harry? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to your family, friends and other royal family fans!
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