In Focus: Meghan Markle

This week marks the second wedding anniversary of Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and as you may know, they won’t be celebrating in England with Harry’s family. The couple is now living in California, nearly halfway across the world from England and I have to say, I don’t blame them. Ever since Harry brought Meghan into his world, she has received an appalling amount of bullying and harassment in the form of racism, sexism, ageism, and general resentment. Due to this treatment, Harry and Meghan decided to move their family to California, and step-down as senior royals of the British Royal Family with the intent to continue their charitable work, and raise awareness for issues the couple is passionate about.

I was first introduced to Meghan when she had made her first public appearance with Harry in Toronto, confirming the two were a couple. This set off a frenzy in the media as they made it their goal to find out as much information about Meghan as humanly possible. This included digging into her past, her blended family, her previous relationships, and for some reason, making sure to highlight the fact that she was *fake gasp* half black. The public, and specifically the British media, could not fathom that Harry was bringing an older, biracial, American divorcee into the Royal Family and this is when the racist backlash began. The media began investigating all of the things she had accomplished in her life and started questioning her intentions regarding her relationship with Harry. Many were convinced that the Queen would never allow a member of the family to date someone biracial, however, she proved them wrong.

A little over two years later, Meghan has continued to receive hateful and despicable comments daily. Some of the things Meghan was ridiculed for include the way she held herself while pregnant, wearing black nail polish to an event, endless comparison to Kate, just to name a few. All the while, not much was done to defend her and stop the harassment she was receiving. While Harry and some of her friends have come to her side to publicly defend her and to ask for the bullying to stop, her new family lacked the ability to do the same. I’ll be honest, over the years I have indulged in British history, specifically the 16th and 17th century, and later learning more about the Windsors’ and was fascinated by their abilities to appear to be this perfect family, upholding such high standards and representing their country and the Crown. However, since Meghan entered the family, I could not be more disappointed in their inability to defend their newest member. Regardless of protocols that may surround defending a partner to a member of their family, they lacked the human decency to speak up, simply dusting the “issue” (Meghan) under a rug. I’ve not been able to look at the Royals the same since.

This post isn’t about my disappointment in the British Royal Family and the systemic racism that exists in the world, it’s to highlight Meghan for who she is, what she is capable of, and what she should be celebrated for.

Since it was made public knowledge that the two were dating, I have been following along and virtually supporting many of the causes they do. Unfortunately, I was unable to follow Meghan’s blog The Tig before it was deactivated along with her Instagram page and I only started watching Suits after Meghan had left the show. However, I had followed the @SussexRoyal Instagram account before they had decided to no longer use it as they prepared for their next chapter since they stepped away from being senior royals. I am anxiously awaiting a time when they think it’s right to announce their future plans, whatever that may be, I look forward to supporting them.

Strong-Willed, Kind Heart

Before the pair were a couple, Harry, as part of his official royal duties, supported many charities and causes— including the welfare of those serving their country as Harry once had. Meghan too has always been very vocal about her beliefs surrounding equality. Identifying at a young age as a feminist, Meghan’s humanitarian work focuses on the importance of women having a voice and the right to an education. For instance, in 2016, Meghan became the global ambassador for World Vision Canada, traveling to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign and later traveled to India to raise awareness for women’s issues including the lack of access to clean hygiene facilities which impacted the ability of girls to go to school. She then penned an op-ed for Time magazine, openly discussing the stigmatization that surrounds menstrual health, something that is a natural part of many people's lives but often shamed for.

In 2018, Meghan’s first charity project as the Duchess of Sussex was the Together: Our Community Cookbook. This book consisted of recipes from members of the Hubb Community Kitchen, female survivors who had come together following the Grenfell Tower fire to cook fresh food for their families. A portion of the proceeds from book sales goes towards the Hubb Community Kitchen to continue to grow and strengthen the lives and communities through food.

One of my favourite things Meghan has been a part of was her contribution to the September 2019 issue of British Vogue. In it, she played the role of a contributor and guest editor which highlighted and celebrated the work of 15 women from all different walks of life including the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern, climate activist Greta Thunberg, and activist and actress Jameela Jamil. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this issue. At the time of its release, I was in the middle of moving to Oxford for my exchange and was worried I would miss it as it takes a while for foreign magazine monthly issues to arrive in Canada. I kindly asked my General Manager, Linda who also loves Meghan if she would hold a copy for me until I got home at Christmas. I was so excited to return home to my copy/my “welcome home” present from her.

A Modern-Day Woman

Since entering the Royal Family, she has challenged the establishment with its centuries-old rules. When in public and at royal engagements, Meghan’s kind and friendly disposition was evident, appearing approachable and welcoming during all interactions with others. The PDA with Harry, the loose hairstyles, and even the way she embraces and engages with members of the public, Meghan continued to show her desire for a change surrounding the expectations of a woman in the Royal Family.

Meghan has long voiced her opinions surrounding the injustices women face. At the Royal Foundation Forum in 2018, Meghan made an important point regarding female empowerment stating that “Women don’t need to find a voice, they have a voice, and they need to feel empowered to use it, and people need to be encouraged to listen”.

The couple made the bold decision to follow their own plan after Meghan delivered their son, Archie. Royals are expected to have a public birth and an in-person announcement of their child’s arrival needs to be made on the same day. However, Meghan decided that she didn’t want to put on heels and a dress the day she gave birth, but chose to wait a few days before making their family’s public debut. While many people were VERY vocal about their dislike of their choice, I can’t help but applaud the decision.

The ultimate “act” of standing against all the injustices she faced can be linked to what many “Meghan haters” refer to as “Megxit.” A term that relates back to Britain’s decision to leave the EU, commonly known as “Brexit.” Meghan and Harry made the decision to step back from their senior royal title and responsibilities with the hopes that the negativity and cruelty the couple, and more importantly, Meghan had faced over the years would end. While the outcome of their separation is too early to tell, their ability to stand up to the millennium-old establishment does not go unnoticed.

Meghan came into the family with the desire to make a positive change and share her passion for the charities and organizations she worked with and others she would work with in the future. Unfortunately due to the systemic racism that is embedded within our society, she was unable to do that. However, the possibilities of her future plans are endless.

The couple’s journey to this point has been a long and hard one. In August, a book titled Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family hits shelves. The book will dispel the rumours and misconceptions that have followed the couple since their public debut. The book is allowing the couple a chance to use their voice and share with the world their side of the story. While the book is not written by The Duke and Duchess, it is written by royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand with the participation of those closest to the couple.

I was excited about the idea of a modern royal, someone who had so heavily participated in charitable work with the intent of helping others and someone who hadn’t grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth. Meghan had lived her own life before marrying Harry. She had a lot to offer with her new platform, and I’m sorry her time as a senior royal was cut so short. I can’t wait to see what the couple will work on, as a team or individually, but I do hope the world will embrace their newfound independence with a lot more love and a lot less negativity.

xx Lex

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A special thanks to Laura McCallen for allowing me to use two of her stunning photos she took in March of Meghan and Harry at Westminster Abbey in London for this piece. If you’re ever looking for someone to follow who posts gorgeous photos of Europe (lots of London) and The Royal Family, follow @laura.mccallen on Instagram!

*Photos without a hyperlink are my own, taken and edited by me.