Thousands of fans and a mix of British tradition and African American spirituality. The 2018 wedding was seen as a step into a new era for the royal family. Nothing remains of that.
According to the British tabloids, Duchess Meghan can hardly do anything right. On the coronation weekend alone, the 41-year-old was accused of staging photos of her father-in-law King Charles III. wanting to steal the show, always seeking the limelight and having worn £150,000 worth of jewelery while hiking.
This shows: Five years after the dream wedding with Prince Harry on May 19, 2018, the former hope of the crown and country has become persona non grata for many. In the UK, Meghan’s popularity ratings have long been in shambles.
It almost seemed as if the country was relieved when it became known that the Duchess of Sussex – Meghan still holds the title – will not be arriving for the coronation of King Charles. But even without being present, they were discussed.
Welsh composer Karl Jenkins had to assure after the coronation that he was not Meghan in disguise after some observers saw him as Harry’s wife with a beard and wig. It often seems as if Meghan can do whatever she wants – in England she earns malice and ridicule.
Meghan was modernization personified
It all started like in a fairy tale. When Harry (38) introduced the former actress (“Suits”) to the Royal Family, many were delighted. The American brought everything to help lead the British royal family into the modern age.
Because of the couple appearances with Harry’s older brother Prince William and his wife Princess Kate, the young royals were quickly jazzed up to the “Fab Four”, the fabulous four. Chic, modern, cool – the scandalous years of embarrassing party photos of Harry and his father Charles’ antics seemed a distant memory.
With the dream wedding at Windsor Castle, a new era finally seemed to have dawned in the almost thousand-year history of the British monarchy: tolerance, diversity and openly displayed emotions.
More than 100,000 people cheered the new royal dream couple, who drove in a carriage through the streets of the small town west of London under a bright sky. The American bishop Michael Curry made a passionate plea for belief in the power of love – with a passion that nobody had ever displayed in the cold walls of the venerable St. George’s Chapel.
According to the impression, not only two people got married here. British aristocracy seemed to be merging with modernity, sober Anglican piety met African-American spirituality. The British royal family had arrived in the 21st century. Or so it seemed.
Broken with family
But five years later, nothing remains of this spirit of optimism. Worse still, the royal family is in a worse position than before in the face of family quarrels, allegations of racism and scandals. The hopefuls Harry and Meghan have become the harshest critics of the institution that should lead them into the future.
The couple’s sensational interview with US presenter Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 is considered by royalists to be a declaration of war. In interviews and in his biography, Harry in particular followed suit. In return, the palace spread that Meghan had bullied employees. Apparently they don’t talk to each other anymore.
Actually, Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, should primarily reach out to the subjects in the former colonies as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador with his wife. His father Charles (74) is still the head of state of 15 countries.
But especially in the Caribbean there are efforts to sever ties with the royal family. The urge to detach is often combined with demands for apologies and even reparations for injustices suffered. Barbados became a republic at the end of 2021. Jamaica and others are expected to follow soon.
The world will probably never know whether Harry and Meghan, who partly has African-American roots, could have stopped this trend if they hadn’t left the royal family in a dispute a good three years ago.
But in a Netflix documentary about their royal exodus, they made it clear that coping with the legacy of colonialism and slavery and the involvement of the British crown is a matter close to their hearts. The couple now lives in the US state of California with their two children, Archie (4) and Lilibet (1).
Royal interest is waning
In Great Britain, the monarchy is not questioned by the vast majority, but young people in particular pay little attention to the royals.
In a survey by the polling institute YouGov, 78 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds said they were not interested in the royals. In this age group there are also more supporters of a republic with an elected head of state than supporters of the monarchy.
But the Royal Family cannot deliver new role models for young people, like Harry and Meghan could be, at the push of a button. The official family photo for the coronation also makes this clear: Only two – heir to the throne William and his wife Kate – are under 50, nobody under 40.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
