The unhappy prince and moaning Meg

LIKE many millions I tuned in to watch the ITV documentary on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. While it was titled An African Journey it could have easily been called The Self-indulgent Sussexes, as the plights of impoverished South Africans was drowned out by the pityme protestation of the privileged palace dwellers. Undoubtedly, Harry and Meghan have endured difficult times. But much of the criticism levelled at them is of their own making and is justified. That said, some of the vitriol has spiralled out of control.

Leaving aside the thorny question of the couple’s right to privacy while living off the British public’s purse, one thing is abundantly clear: they are two people in personal pain, especially Harry.

Everything about the former happy prince, from his words to his mannerisms, demeanour, his deflation, negativity, mistrust of everyone and everything as well as his misguided anger, portrayed a man on the brink.

Harry, once globally admired for his compassion and empathy now comes across as all-consumed by anger and self-pity and on a oneman mission for retribution.

His mother’s death was unquestionably horrendous and the scars run deep. But, his ‘woe-is-me’ and seething victim complex on the African plains blinded him to what was in front of his nose.

As Harry spun his tale of woe, limbless, orphaned children danced happily just a few yards away. They, too, lost parents at young ages and in heartbreaking circumstances and to use his own words their ‘wounds fester’ as much as his, and their scars are both invisible and visible.

Given this couple’s current precarious mental state one has to wonder the appropriateness of both him and Meghan as mental-health ambassadors. Until they begin to resolve their own issues they should refrain from doling out advice to others suffering the same, if not worse, anguish.