Meghan Markle is no victim — she’s an opportunistic social climber
Kimberly Ross
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Even people who don’t usually follow royal family drama look at Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry with at least a bit of disgust. Meghan, the former Meghan Markle, married into the royal family, existed on the sidelines for a while, and is now making a name for herself as a formerly active member of the family alongside her husband. If it were just that, it would hardly be notable. But Meghan and Harry not only reject the dutiful life of a royal but spend much time of their criticizing their family and continue to parlay their fame into financial deals and even more notoriety. It’s all a bit tiresome considering their home base is in the United States.
From an outsider’s perspective, Meghan comes across as an opportunistic social climber. She is a former actress whose greatest claim to fame before her courtship and marriage to Harry was her role in USA Network’s show Suits. Meghan’s self-importance is evident. Since stepping back from royal duties, she and her husband have played the victim card on many occasions. In fact, a new Netflix documentary titled Harry & Meghan appears to focus on just that. The real question is: What did Meghan expect as a member of the royal family?
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Harry will never be king. As a result, his life has been and would always be one of famous boredom. He was destined to be overshadowed by those in line to the throne, such as his brother, Prince William.
Meghan’s attitude as Harry’s wife is one in stark contrast to her sister-in-law, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. The latter exhibits poise, charm, and, most of all, a sense of duty. She is easy to respect and like for her conformity to the role she chose when she agreed to marry William. Meghan, on the other hand, seems to flatly reject what she willingly entered into by marriage. The problem with this is everyone else is supposed to feel sorry for her, too.
There’s much to be said for filling your role in life — through the good, bad, and unexpected. The late Prince Philip, consort to the late Queen Elizabeth II, stood by his wife’s side for decades. Philip left the military when his wife ascended to the throne. From then on, he was her support and representative, attending engagements and speeches. That kind of adherence to duty is remarkable and admirable. Kate has many years to live before reaching a similar level. But even now, she displays that kind of dedication.
If Meghan seems grateful for anything beyond her husband and children, it’s her avenue to even more fame. It’s difficult to respect that superficiality, whether you’re American or British. It would be easier for the audience to view Meghan in a kinder light if she didn’t seem so focused on turning herself into a victim. That she grew disillusioned by life in the royal family doesn’t make her a martyr. For most people, life’s path turns out different from the idealistic vision we had at the start. That doesn’t make it bad. It most definitely doesn’t make it newsworthy.
It’s hard to imagine Meghan and Harry finding a sympathetic audience on either side of the pond. Attachment to the royal family certainly doesn’t make one a better human being. But for those who are in that charmed position, fulfilling the duty of a public role, or at least not complaining about it, is appreciated by us normal folk. And it garners a certain limited regard from those of us who live the kind of regular life Meghan once did.
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Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.