I was trying to avoid writing about the Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s withdrawal from the frontlines of the royal family. But seeing stories on it splashed across every major British newspaper on newsstands while I was in the UK for the past week didn’t help.
If you look carefully and without bias you will see that the British press has, over a period of time, instigated a racially-charged attack on Meghan. This is putting it mildly. From accusing her of supporting terrorists because she endorsed a cookbook whose contributors were partly Muslim, to calling her baby a monkey, among other atrocities, the British media revealed the belly of the beast and a sad reality of the United Kingdom. That reality is that the country still harbours strong racial tensions as well as intense classism.
Some have said that because she came from humble beginnings and was not a famous A-list actress, that Meghan should feel privileged to be a member of the royal family. It has also been said that by marrying into the system she knew exactly what she was getting into. The optics seem to indicate that having it all materially somehow guarantees happiness. After all, this is what Disney constantly sells: the fairy-tale princess, and-they-lived-happily-ever-after ending. So much so that the average person seems to have forgotten that there are other aspects to marriage. But, despite their status, Meghan and Harry, like any other married couple, would have other needs. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, those like employment and financial security come almost at the bottom and it is self-actualization and esteem that come at the top.
Ultimately, anyone, once their core needs are met, would want more out of life and try to search for a deeper sense of self. It is human nature to want others around you to live a better life when you know that you are thriving.
To say Meghan should be thankful for what she has been given indicates that unfortunately many of us haven’t completely sorted out our safety needs. It also means that we still assume the man to be the head of the household and that the woman ought to yield to his wants and needs when he holds most of the financial and popular influence. Add race into all of this, and it is understandable why anyone would want to escape after some time.
If anything, we should see this moving away as something to be enlightened by. It removes the notion that life in the spotlight is a dream and the archaic idea that a woman can only be saved by a man.
Harry and Meghan’s move provides a great example for young people who might be contemplating going against the grain.
