It’s sad, but let’s all move on
ONCE upon a time you were either Team Firm or Team Meg. The choice appeared simple, and with the announcement of the Oprah interview with Harry and Meghan, the battle lines were drawn.
You were either on the side of the Monarchy with all its rigid, traditional protocols or you were with the wantaway couple who yearned for a new, different life on the other side of the world.
Now? Now I’m not so sure those lines are quite so well defined.
And where once people might have been cross on behalf of Harry and his wife and the way they were allegedly treated by The Firm, or cross on behalf of the Queen and the apparent disrespect she was being shown by her grandson, now other emotions have come to the fore.
Sadness and apathy.
Neither one is exactly desirable when it comes to how we view our Royal Family.
But one is downright dangerous. Let’s face it, nobody came out of Oprah Winfrey’s chat with the young Royals well.
We heard shocking allegations from Meghan about racism at the heart of the House of Windsor which, if true, are abhorrent.
We also heard how she believed the Palace failed to support her, despite her suicidal feelings, of plots to ensure baby Archie would never have a title or security to keep him safe, and of lies and refusals to counteract negative commentary in the media.
Harry, meanwhile, revealed his hurt at how he perceives his father and other family members have treated both him and his wife.
I have no idea of the validity of much of what was said. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
I believe Meghan suffered during her time within the gilded cage that is the Royal Family. She appeared truly pained when she talked of it.
I also believe Harry has been through a great deal in his life, leaving him with emotional scars as well as bitterness and anger.
Both, in their own way, appeared quite vulnerable too. Fragile even.
Were they treated badly by the Palace? Who can say? They certainly believe so but, as the Queen’s statement said, ‘recollections may vary’.
What is without dispute however is how terribly sad all this is.
The Sussexes are sad. I’m sure the Queen and her family are sad.
And as a nation we’re sad too that what was once a fairy tale has gone horribly awry and the fallout has damaged the 94-year-old Queen and the institution she has dedicated her life to.
But all this can only carry on for so long.
This country is still in a pandemic. Things are tough for the Royals but much tougher for others.
The best that can happen now is that this mess and its main protagonists retreat from the public eye.
Harry and Meg have had their say. And there must of course be an investigation into their allegations, otherwise Brand Windsor will look even more out of touch than it sometimes does already.
But it’s time for some privacy all round. Otherwise we will grow weary of the telling, the claims and counterclaims, like a soap opera that’s lasted one too many seasons.
The public’s attention span is limited and there are a great deal more distractions to occupy us all at the moment.
Harry and Meg have been portrayed as a threat to the Monarchy.
They’re not. But apathy is.