Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Rigid Royal Life Spotlighted By Event Planners
The few who had managed not to have an opinion on Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry’s unprecedented and headline-grabbing departure from royal life surely have their work cut out for them now. The couple’s stunning decision and its aftermath have been thrust into global headlines thanks to a much-anticipated interview with none other than Oprah.
Even before the decision to step away from royal duties and move to the United States hit the media, there was already a stark difference in opinion about the royal marriage and Meghan in particular. On one side, there were fans of the modern-minded Duchess who seemed to be shaking up outdated norms. On the other, there were critics who saw Markle’s tendency to break protocol as insulting and unbefitting.
Through the entire debate, the topic of racism and prejudice ran as an ugly undercurrent.
Now that undercurrent of racism has been brought into sharp focus as the Oprah interview had both Meghan and Prince Harry bringing it up directly. In addition, the interview revealed many details about the grueling expectations placed on the couple by the royal family and their position there. One set of event planners who worked with the Sussexes in the past has come forward to back up the claims.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry faced criticism for their relationship
Long before the now-infamous Oprah interview — indeed, even long before the announcement to leave — it was clear that Prince Harry and Meghan were facing an absolute onslaught of criticism from the public and the media at large. The duchess, in particular, seemed unable to escape the harsh glare of the spotlight, and every move she made seemed open to scrutiny.
Prince Harry, who tragically lost his mother amidst immense pressure and criticism from the press, was especially tuned in to the threat his wife faced. While many have blamed Meghan for the decision to exit, others suspect that Prince Harry’s own frustrations are just as responsible. Even now that the Sussexes have settled into a new life, cut off from their royal duties and the benefits that come with them, they still face criticism for not staying out of the spotlight after claiming to want privacy.
As their Oprah interview revealed, it’s not total seclusion they seek, but the right to be free from harassment.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry told Oprah they were ‘trapped’
One revelation from the Oprah interview has been an understanding of the rigid demands the Sussexes faced from the royal family. As People reports, Markle told Oprah: “We did it, I did anything they told me to do.” Every move they made and every word they said was dictated by forces beyond them.
Prince Harry, too, made reference to this stifling feeling: “I was trapped but I didn’t know I was trapped. Trapped within the system like the rest of the family.”
This kind of rigid existence would be exhausting for anyone, but Meghan and Prince Harry had the added burden of feeling unprotected from the harsh media. With their hands tied on what and how much they were allowed to say, they depended on the institution of the royal family to protect them, but that protection never came.
Event planners confirm the Sussexes’ rigid lifestyle
As the fallout from the explosive Oprah interview continues to rain down, event planners have come forward to add their perspectives to the discussion. As Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine reports, Faye Alexander of Alexander Events and Chris Walls of Events2 Ltd were involved with the planning of an event for The Royal Armouries in 2018. This was a kind of “night out” for Prince Harry and Meghan, but the event planners got to see all too clearly what kind of rigid demands the couple had to meet.
Alexander explained: “It actually broke my heart to witness the work and planning that went into Harry and Meghan’s night at our event and therefore the threat and risk involved at the same time.”
A media circus awaited the pair, and Meghan was aggressively attacked with personal questions the moment she appeared. The planners recounted how caring Meghan and Prince Harry were to the parents of a serviceman honored at the event.
Indeed, they paint a picture of a couple trying their best to live out kind and personable values while boxed into a rigid lifestyle that allowed very little flexibility.
