Megxit hardly a surprise
As the Megxit maelstrom enters a fourth day, the fact that the Queen is said to be more emotional about being left out of the decision to press ‘‘go’’ on Harry and Meghan’s exit plan, than about Prince Andrew’s loyalty to a paedophile, has escaped the notice of few.
But whatever the Queen is feeling, it’s really the media outlets themselves that are ‘‘deeply upset’’, ‘‘incandescent with rage’’ and just plain ‘‘disappointed’’.
As they would be. Losing access to that sweet, sweet Sussex glamour must be akin to seeing their most reliable cocaine dealer arrested and jailed for the forseeable. I’m joking about the drugs, but it’s a fair analogy; Meghan and Harry have, since 2016, been the tabloid equivalent of crack.
The scribblers and snappers might be outraged but they have absolutely no reason to be surprised. The Sussexes’ exit was inevitable and they’ve not been shy about where the blame lies.
The hacks that have long denied collective culpability in the death of Harry’s mum Diana have been reminded repeatedly by Harry that he holds them responsible – and the thought of a similar fate befalling his wife gives him the heebies.
‘‘Every time I see a camera, every time I hear a click, it takes me straight back,’’ he’s quoted as saying.
Another not-so-subtle hint came in October when they decided to sue the Mail On Sunday, or when the Prince called the treatment of his new wife ‘‘relentless propaganda’’. This has been coming ever since the launch of Instagram rendered void the understanding that the younger royals and the press ‘‘needed each other’’.
When Meghan gave birth to baby Archie last year, there was no stand-up on the steps of St Mary’s Hospital; just a pic of Archie’s wee fingers on the Sussex Instagram page.
It was too much for some. Former royals photographer for The Sun, Arthur Edwards, is quoted by the New York Times this week as being especially peeved, saying the fingers-shot was ‘‘treating us with total disrespect’’. He also felt Harry should just get over the lifechanging loss he experienced at the age of 13.
‘‘Listen, it was a sad day when Diana was killed, that’s a long while ago, it’s 25 years,’’ Edwards said. ‘‘You’ve got to move on.’’ Hmm. Such empathy.
Once described as ‘‘a hug that was always threatening to become an assault’’, the end of their media pact was as inevitable as Harry and Meghan’s departure. As soon as they began talking publicly, and increasingly often, about the unhappiness of their current situation, it was over, Rover.
Think about it this way – to whine about your life, but not do whatever is in your power to change it, would be dishonest and foolish, would it not?
And thus there are few among us who could blame them for getting out. Apart from the British royal media pack, who are fast seeing their relevance and perhaps their livelihoods vanish like the vapour trail of a departing Air Canada flight.