A fairy-tale wedding, but a tough life

Royals must live with media scrutiny, but how much?

The news this week that Meghan Markle has returned to Canada after she and her husband, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, announced they want to scale back royal duties and earn a living in North America was, according to many headlines, a “bombshell.”

But then such sensationalism, whether accurate or not, has been commonplace in a world where journalism treats the British monarchy as a reality TV show.

Some British newspapers, especially the tabloid press, have devoted dozens of pages to this apparently weighty matter, as if nothing else is happening in the world.

And why not, British newspapers have made millions over the last half-century or more by pursuing every detail of royal life? The rest of the world, meanwhile, has not been above affording the matter more importance than it deserves.

For generations, British journalists, in my opinion, have debased themselves in the pursuit (and sometimes suppression) of royal news. They have broken the rules — legal, ethical and moral — in chasing down gossip, and they have made life miserable — or worse — for many members of the Royal Family.

The Royal Family deserves to be held to account, and it’s the media’s job to scrutinize and indeed criticize bad or questionable behaviour, waste and inefficiency, but Markle wouldn’t be the first to wonder whether the amount of media attention is fair. Prince Harry, meanwhile, is perhaps more painfully aware of its costs than most.

The Royals can’t have it both ways, of course, and that’s the challenge. The recent announcement doesn’t seem particularly well thought out. How exactly do they expect to earn a living? Producing movies? Doing product endorsements? Helping tech startups? Flipping hamburgers?

Do they still want to be subsidized by the public? Have a place in the palace? Get special travel arrangements?

Big questions, and reasonable ones.

But so is the desire for the semblance of a normal life in a world where the media, in particular social media, can be so oppressive, omnipresent, mean-spirited and hateful.

The rules are changing every day, and we all must change with it, royals and regulars included.

Markle would surely have known that living the life of a princess isn’t what it used to be, if it ever was, and fairy-tale weddings are quickly forgotten under the glare of flashbulbs, TV cameras and rapacious reporters looking for a scoop.

But surely it’s time for a little more kindness from all of us. Paul Berton is editor-in-chief of The Hamilton Spectator and thespec.com. You can reach him at 905-5263482 or pberton@thespec.com