Leave it to two of the world's most famous millennials to make a precedent setting move that has shocked the world. Many have a strong opinion about the recent decision by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to live as private, independent people and no longer serve as senior members of the Royal Family, nor be financially dependent on it.
A lot of people wonder, how can someone walk away from royal life? Isn't that as good as it gets? Everyone is clamoring to know and admire you, and you have seemingly endless financial resources and security for your entire life. What could be better than that? Actually, a lot, like living your own life on your own terms, something most of us Americans and non royals take for granted.
Royal life has a distinctively dark side. Everyone knows the struggles Prince Harry's late mother Diana suffered due to her life as a royal, and the cruel treatment of her by some of England's press and paparazzi. It contributed greatly to her depression, anxiety, bulimia, and her death.
I've often wondered how it felt for Prince Harry to lose his mother at 12 years old, leaving him to live almost his entire life without her; all the while knowing that she actually died trying to outrun the paparazzi! In addition, he has lived his whole 35 years on this planet under a microscope. Although the press did not follow him and William to school every day like they did before Diana's death, he still had to participate in many media events and photos in order to maintain peace with all of them. Once he was an adult the media was all over him again. It's no wonder he has been depressed and anxious much of his adult life, as he has freely admitted.
When Harry and Meghan got married in 2018 I wondered if she realized what she was getting into. I thought to myself would I want to be her? The answer was a definitive NO. Marrying a royal means that as soon as that ring is on your finger you have a full time job. Full time. Forever! There is no real line between your personal and your professional life. You're under the spotlight with everyone, the press and the public judging your every move including your appearance, choices, your family, and your children. I don't care how great the guy is, and Harry seems like a good one, it's just too much for most people. I wondered how an American who was used to freedom of choice would handle it. The beautiful Meghan Markle was already a celebrity as we all know, so she had a better chance than many in navigating the shark infested waters of public life, but apparently the couple and now their baby Archie as well have been hounded by racially charged abuse and harassment. There is probably a lot the public doesn't and might never know about the reasons for this major decision. Perhaps Harry feels it's the only way to protect his new family.
Most of the English press will not give Harry and Meghan any empathy or understanding for their choice to be free and to use social media as their way of communicating to the world, as they have specified. This is because if a member of the royal family says "I don't need the press I'll be my own press," then many others may follow suit. And if so then what use is the press? That is their fear.
As far as finances go, Meghan and Harry will be just fine due to Harry's inheritance from his late mother Diana, Meghan's contributions as a former actress and his investments from his own salary, serving ten years in the Army and two tours of Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot. Their net worth is said to be around $35 million dollars. In addition they'll have opportunties for profitable ventures in the coming years as they are now no longer tied to the same rules as they were before.
If the royal family handles this correctly, acting like it's not a major issue and future Kings Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George are the real royals anyway, it may just be an unexpected wave and not a major storm. It could even help the royal family to have a positive attitude in the press about it, (no matter what they may think privately), since the public loves Harry and Meghan and they will always be royalty in the hearts and minds of most.
