Megxit: Pro and con

“I hope every young man who dreams of making the foolhardy sacrifice that Prince Harry made has learnt something from his misfortune.’ I observed, putting down my phone after watching the short documentary I saw on the ex-royal couple.

‘What do you mean by a foolhardy sacrifice? I hope you are not referring to his marriage to Meghan?’ Tahir asked, from where he was seated on his favourite sitting room chair.

‘What else would I be referring to, Hubby dear? You don’t sound like you agree with me but look at all the facts. He went out of his way to marry a woman who is in four ways different or some would say unsuitable for him but he weathered the storm of all her in adequacies, yet look at what he gained in the end. A split from his family and the life he always knew.’ I declared.

‘I see, you are a big fan of and a full believer in British tabloids, otherwise I can’t see why you are talking this way. But tell me, what are the four different ways that Meghan was unsuitable for Harry?” He asked.

‘Well top on the list is that she was a divorcee. For a handsome young prince, that’s a real no-no. Then she was years older which is also bad in an institution that places premium on ideal situations. Then she isn’t royal, which isn’t so bad since the last bride wasn’t royal either but at least the other one wasn’t from  broken home. Then last but not the least she’s also Jewish having been born to a Jewish father. Each of these reasons would have stopped her from being the wife of a British prince a few decades ago. Indeed they would have stopped her from becoming Harry’s wife even now, if he had listened to the nay-sayers, but he didn’t. He overlooked everything in the name of love and a now look at what he reaped from it.’ I complained.

‘Why didn’t you mention the one difference or inadequacy as you might call it, that’s behind this whole anti-Meghan attitude, the fact that she’s half black?’ Tahir challenged.

‘That’s because I don’t believe her bi-racial status is behind her bad press in the British media. If it was, that would be the one thing they’d be dwelling on since Harry announced their engagement over two years ago. But, with a few exceptions, they didn’t, instead she got some pretty good press that emphasized her actress status, her American citizenship, her enchanting smile etc. Even the Queen bent a few rules in her favour when she invited Meghan to spend Christmas with them just weeks after their engagement. Normally you don’t make it to Her Majesty’s Christmas family dinner until you are a full and lawful member of the House of Windsor. But Queen Elizabeth invited Meghan not only to humour Harry but probably to make the point that “We know you are a little bit different from us but since you are Harry’s choice, you are welcome.” Yet Meghan misused that opportunity by not making an effort to appreciate the gesture.

It was reported that on boxing day, that year, she flatly refused to let Harry attend their traditional hunting season. She claimed that as an animal rights activist she would not stand by and allow him engage in such cruelty. She was said to have made such tantrums that the Queen had to intervene by asking both her and Harry to leave in order to avoid a scandal. This was how Meghan launched her own negative image in the British media.’ I concluded.

‘And you think all this is true?’ Tahir asked, sceptically.

‘As far as I know, no one ever bothered to deny it.’ I replied.

‘So because of this one incident, reports that more senior royals were bullying them and might have caused their decision to leave since they couldn’t take any more, didn’t make any impressions on you?’ Tahir insisted.

‘No, they didn’t because it’s obvious that Meghan wasn’t ready to conform to their ways and knowing how much her husband loves her, she used his foolish infatuation to twist him round her little finger. Ideally, she should try to adjust because she knew what she was getting into. Marrying into royalty is not like any ordinary marriage. Royal people have their rules and their sense of propriety. This is why both her late mother-in-law Princess Diana and her Sister-in-law Kate Middleton had to live for several weeks, among the royals in order to be trained in their ways just before their respective weddings.

I don’t know why Meghan didn’t undergo such an orientation program but the truth is that once you make up your mind to join a people, you have to prepare to adjust to their ways. In the case of Meghan, all she wanted was for the rules to change in her favour.’ I opined.

‘Again you are quoting the British press.’ Tahir observed, discouragingly.

‘Not necessarily, it’s clear for all to see that she’s getting Harry to dance to her every tune. First, he broke away from the charity foundation he and his brother established for years and included their wives in. Now, each couple has its own foundation. Then the latest decision to take six weeks off royal duty which included missing Christmas, which as they all know is the most important annual event for the Queen, as the head of the Anglican Church. All these showed them acting with no sense of propriety.

I mean they could have gone to her mother for the New year after observing the annual tradition with the Queen. And she being the older, the once-divorced and worldly-wise actress should have brought all that to bear by advising him differently, if it was his idea that is. But because she was the architect of the rebellion, she just pushed him to make it real.

And this is why to most British people, their latest bombshell, to quit as senior royals didn’t come as a surprise. Everything about Meghan’s recent antics and her husband’s “how high should I jump attitude” showed she’s headed for a total split; a Megxit no less.’ I stated.

‘So it’s your belief that Harry was forced to leave his royal roles against his wish?’ Tahir queried.

‘Yes indeed. If you had seen the latest speech he made after Megxit, he implied that he wanted to hang on to royal duties in some way, but the Queen turned it down by insisting they won’t represent her anywhere, anymore. And I really wonder how long they’ll last without all the luxury and financial backing of Buckingham palace.

I mean a woman like Meghan would like all the perks of royalty without the pain of conformity. I wonder if she’ll hold on to a struggling prince who could no longer count on slush funds from his doting grandmum and who has a 2.4 million pound debt to pay for the renovation of their British home, Frogmore Cottage. You know this is one of the Queen’s conditions for Megxit. I just hope this marriage will last long enough for Prince Harry to consider his sacrifices as worthwhile.’ I said.

‘I hope so too. It wouldn’t do to let people say “I told you so” to the poor guy.’ Tahir joked.