It all began with a blind date in 2016, followed by a royal wedding in 2018. However, as a result of countless waves of harassment from British tabloids, the Dutch and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, announced their Royal exit in 2020, sparking controversy and criticism that extended beyond just the Royal family.
Since then, the two have started their businesses and projects: including Harry’s candid memoir Spare, and Meghan’s award-winning podcast Archetypes.
How Everything Started?
This question is already quite complicated because so many things already happened since then, but Harry and Meghan’s timeline and how their story developed is really interesting. Back in 2016, after the announcement of Harry and Meghan’s long-term relationship, the media started creating an enormous amount of conversation about the topic. From racist headlines about Meghan’s “exotic DNA”, to racial undertones in comment pieces, Meghan was regarded as an “outsider” from the beginning. What followed was an abundance of rumors and announcements that would eventually lead to the couple’s Royal exit in 2020.
Following the announcement of Meghan’s pregnancy in October 2018, their decision to exit the Royal Foundation to create their organization, and their split from Kensington Palace, rumors of tension within the Royal family, particularly between Harry and Prince William, became more frequent.
Media – The Influential Player
Royal rumors and news have long been a source of profit for British newspapers, driving editors to disregard privacy and libel laws. Since their exit from the Royal family in 2020, the couple have been very open regarding the British media and the part it played in their decision. From the very beginning of their relationship, popular British tabloids, including the Daily Mail, Sun, and Metro, have repeatedly criticized Meghan, publishing rumors and accusations regarding her family, relationship with Harry, and personal life.
In 2019, the Daily Mail published an article suggesting that Meghan’s favorite snack, an avocado, was fueling human rights abuse and murder. Quoting “For someone who wants to save the planet, she’s committed something of a faux pas with avocados,” the article suggested that avocado production has been linked with water shortages, fire station software , and human rights abuses: criticizing the Duke of Duchess of promoting the fruit that has been caught up in violent warfare after she posted a picture on Instagram.
In February 2019, the British newspaper The Mail on Sunday published a private letter from Meghan to her father, before her wedding in 2018. Following this, it was announced in October 2019 that Meghan and Harry would be suing British tabloids, including The Mail on Sunday, for breach of privacy and publishing the private letter addressed to her father.
The Other Side of Media
Since their royal exit in 2020, the Sussexes have openly shared their journey with US media, including the infamous Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021. During the interview, the couple opened up about their time within the royal family, and scrutiny from the British media, and addressed the rumors curated and spread throughout their relationship.
Despite Meghan opening up about the constant scrutiny received, which eventually drove her to suicidal thoughts, revelations from Oprah’s interview were widely publicized by British tabloids: columnists and experts maintained the very sort of coverage that generated the most hatred towards Meghan.
During the interview, Meghan announced that she and her son Archie weren’t fully welcomed into the royal family due to the color of their skin. Further, Harry announced that Prince Charles had stopped taking his calls and the family had cut him off financially as a result of his exit.
Despite addressing significant rumors and misconceptions regarding their relationship, unfortunately, the interview added more fuel to the fire when it came to British tabloids. Key remarks and comments made during the interview were picked apart by British journalists, especially regarding claims of racism within the royal family. The Mirror accused the couple of “destroying” the royal family, claiming that the allegations were untrue: accentuating mass speculation.
…And the Spare Book
In 2022, Harry released his candid memoir ‘Spare,’ revealing stories of his childhood, his time in the military, and his life as a husband and father. Discussing his relationship with Prince William, Harry expressed that the pair had often had a rocky relationship, long before Meghan. From accusations that William assaulted him during an argument in 2019, to William and Kate “howling” at Harry’s Nazi uniform, which he wore to a costume party in 2005, the shared stories highlighted Harry’s demeaning position in the Royal family and the pressures of growing up in the limelight.
After the release of the memoir, Harry, Meghan, and the Royal family returned to the headlines. However, despite the stories published, and the accusations made towards the Royal family, British tabloids re-turned their focus on Meghan, claiming that Meghan contributed to the passages of Harry’s book and helped edit the manuscript: insinuating that she influenced the published memoir, and was “her words, not his”.
