Now that it’s been more than a month since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they would be stepping back from the royal family, one would think the drama around the decision would have died down somewhat.
In fact, the couple is still facing criticism from some corners. There are even royal commentators who think that Harry’s decision to fight for his wife’s happiness may hurt him in the long run, including royal biographer Angela Levin, who thinks the move might have been a mistake.
“As he said before the wedding, ‘What Meghan wants, Meghan gets.’ He’s very, very keen on making her happy, I think to the detriment of [Harry],” Levin said on the Australian 60 Minutes.
Levin also said in the interview that she believes much of the criticism of Markle’s coverage by the British press is overblown. The coverage of Markle has been criticized as racist by some whole believe she would be covered differently if she were white like the rest of the royals.
“I think it is very unfair to say that criticism is actually racism because of course, it is not. I think a lot of the criticism has come about because she sort of lectures the public on how they should behave but not do it herself,” Levin said.
The author referred specifically to a controversy related to the couple’s use of private jets after they stated that they were making the environment a priority. It was a moment of hypocrisy that was thoroughly attacked in the press.
Levin also said that she believes Meghan “wears the trousers” in the relationship. She said that when Harry was looking for a partner, he was looking for someone with an independent streak who had opinions of their own.
She said that Markle was a “spiky woman” who found it difficult to compromise with the demands of the royal family. As a result, Levin suggests, she felt the need to leave the family and form her own path around the monarchy.
While Markle is certainly a strong, smart woman, there are those who claim that her decision to leave the royal family was entirely justified. Harry, for his part, agreed in large part because he didn’t want the pattern he had seen play out with his mother to repeat itself with Meghan.
Harsh media can be incredibly damaging, and Harry knows that better than most. His decision to focus on Meghan’s happiness is what any good partner would do, even if it hurts his reputation.
