The Windsors' quest for less majesty
The royal family are engaging in mutual destruction
It is often said of a conflict between two disagreeable parties that it is a shame they can't both lose. But within family feuds no such rule applies, especially if, like the Windsors, they are in the public eye.
For those not following, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have just given a dynamite interview to Oprah Winfrey, a talk show host who like a royal is known mostly by her first name. As aggrieved former staffers of what’s sometimes called ‘the firm’, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have registered several complaints.
In an interview stuffed with allegations it is hard to pick a top line, but a strong contender is the charge of racism among the Windsors. An unnamed royal, but not the Queen or Prince Philip, allegedly had an awkward conversation with Harry about the skin colour of his firstborn child.
Racism has become a cheap allegation of late, not least in analysing how Markle is perceived. The argument goes that the dismal press coverage Markle has received is because of her mixed heritage, her mum being black while her dad is white.
The prosecution case often puts press coverage of Markle side by side with that of her white sister-in-law Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William. The trouble with this argument is that skin colour is only one distinction between the two duchesses.
While Middleton has fulfilled the traditional role of smiling, waving and blandly attending public events, Markle has refused to settle quietly into the Windsor model of public service. At the same time she has encouraged Harry's natural discomfort with being a royal, leading the pair of them to quit royal service.
There is also the issue of Markle's woke politics in a time of cultural tension. Although Prince Charles has been a notable deviant, the Windsors are mostly restricted to bromides about the importance of tradition, service, community and whatnot. Contentious politics are discouraged.
Markle should have known this on joining the royal family, but the evidence suggests she was ignorant about what was expected of her. She even confirmed this impression to Oprah, telling her host that she didn’t mug up on the royal family or even google the prince while they were dating.
This seems – frankly – stupid. Standard career advice is that you should google your employer before any interview. Being part of the royal family is a job, as well as a kind of public office. Whatever her subsequent treatment by the the Windsors, she looks naive for not preparing.
This feeds the impression that Markle and the Windsors had conflicting ideals about how she would behave. Markle seemed uncomfortable with the expectations of royal service, including the press scrutiny and the obligation to remain mostly apolitical.
These tensions have been capped by mutual allegations of bullying between Markle and the Windsors. Before the interview aired a Times report suggested that Markle had bullied royal staff, while the Oprah interview is essentially one long HR complaint.
Markle will not be the last American celebrity distressed by Fleet Street’s talent for lese-majeste. Ironically for a country founded on treason, the United States press often exhibit deference to public figures that would be regarded as supine in London. The Californian exile is therefore likely to provide a more agreeable climate for the Sussexes.
The Windsors will meanwhile be disappointed by Harry’s sustained talent for embarrassing them, but any damage is unlikely to be lasting. Like the CEO of a scandal-prone company, the Queen has emerged from another row unscathed. If the royals can navigate Charles’s kingship it is likely that William will restore some quiet respectability.
That said, British republicans have to take the victories we can get. And for foes of majesty at home and abroad, it has been an excellent week.
Outfoxed. In other ill-advised celebrity activity, actor Laurence Fox has entered the London mayoral race. In the latest Right Dishonourable we discuss his scepticism of lockdown and woke politics, as well as the government budget and the inclusion of trans characters in an upcoming Harry Potter game.
Don’t stack. Migrations to Substack continue apace with the arrival of Ed West, senior editor of UnHerd. West’s embarrassed conservative shtick is highly entertaining to read, even if you are on another side of the aisle politically. His memoir is good for the same reasons.
Like a hapless monarch during a French revolution, I have no cake for you to eat. But if you sign up to this email there will be more words, some of which I will doubtless chew at a later date.
Jimmy