Entertainment

Op-Ed: I Love Meghan And Harry Even More Now––William And Charles Are Trash Though

by Sa'iyda Shabazz
Pool/Samir Hussein/Getty/Scary Mommy

As soon as I heard that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were sitting down for an interview with Oprah, I was ready. I have been following their relationship from the very beginning and it’s heartbreaking the way things have turned out. Of course this interview was going to be incredible, but it truly shocked me to hear the couple speak with such clarity, empathy, and candor. It’s not easy to take on the monarchy and live. But they both understood the risk, and knew it was important.

Meghan Markle gets incredibly candid with Oprah about her lowest point. She explains that she felt so beaten down that she was suicidal and truly believed that she was at risk of harming herself. It’s not necessarily that she wanted to die, but she felt that by not being alive, she would solve everyone’s problems. That really struck a chord with me because I was in a similar situation. However, Meghan was stronger than I was because she tried to seek help. Her pleas went ignored, though, as it would not have been a “good look” for the family if she sought medical help for depression. It’s bad enough she had to suffer from those thoughts. But to then be told that she couldn’t seek help? They should be ashamed, but we know they don’t give a fuck.

I wish I knew which members of Harry’s family asked him what color skin Archie may have. It’s understandable why he won’t tell, but I have my suspicions. My first guess is his brother, followed very closely by his father. Oprah has said that Harry told her it was not his grandmother, the Queen, or his grandfather who were part of those conversations. I can’t even begin to fathom the level of shock (and fury) a question like that must have caused Harry. Especially when he then had to relay that information back to his wife. Being mixed race, Meghan is definitely on the light end of the spectrum, but there’s no way of knowing what skin color your kid is going to have until it’s born. Nor should anyone be worried about that. And, who has the fucking audacity to ask? Well, the very white royal family, that’s who. Regardless of his skin color, Archie is part of the family. They were obviously looking for yet another way to ostracize Meghan Markle.

As the Black mom of a mixed race child myself, I understand the level of hurt a comment like that causes. When you have a mixed kid, people just love to make comments about it. Doctors, other kids, even the random stranger at Target. It’s frustrating, though you learn how to smile and wave it off. But if it’s your own fucking family? How can you brush something like that off as a casual comment? I would have been absolutely devastated if my parents or another close family expressed concern over the color of my son’s skin. .

One of the main things I admire most about the way Meghan Markle handled this is the amount of tact she has. At a time where she had full permission to be as messy as she wanted, she chose grace. She could have been as petty as she felt she could be, and it would have been absolutely understood — and warranted. Yet at no point did you even hear any malice in her voice, even as she explained how they totally did her dirty. That’s a true testament to her character. Most of us know that if we were her, the tea would have never stopped spilling. You can’t say they don’t all deserve to have their lives disrupted at least a little bit by this. I hope those dusty-ass white people feel awful about what they’ve done. Or at least feel embarrassment from the public wrath that is raining down on them now.

When Oprah explains to Meghan that people are blaming her for “Megxit,” she is shocked. That’s the thing. People really think that one day Meghan Markle grabbed Harry by his balls and told him that they were leaving. After watching the interview, it is abundantly clear that she would never have been the one to make that decision all on her own — mainly because she doesn’t have that kind of power. If this were a true company, Meghan is basically the intern. She doesn’t have any real authority here. Harry’s the one who’s been doing the job for over 30 years; he’s the only one who can get the higher ups to listen. They very clearly made the decision to leave together as true partners.

You have to give Harry so many props. As he explained, he was “trapped” by the establishment that was the royal family. He was born into that lifestyle — it’s the only thing he’s ever known. It would have been easy for him to just pat Meghan on the hand and remind her of the stiff upper lip thing. But that’s not what he did. First, he took the time to really educate himself on racism. Notice that he was really the one to refer to what the British press did as racism. Meghan Markle, very aware how people perceive her, chose not to use that word. Because she understands what happens to her when she does. But it’s clear that Harry is over giving a fuck. And you have to love a man that will support his wife and defend his family. That’s a true ally and partner.

Harry has always been honest about how his mother’s death affected him. Even he couldn’t deny the similarities he was seeing. He knew that if he didn’t do something soon, things were not going to end well. He loves his wife so much he couldn’t bear to see her end up the way his mother did. A man who has been through that kind of trauma isn’t going to allow it to happen again. But at the same time, standing up to the British monarchy isn’t really something that gets done very often. Harry knows exactly what he’s given up to keep his family safe, and it’s a lot. However, it’s clear that to him there was no other solution. Still, he deserves a lot of credit for being able to stand up to an entire establishment and say no more.

Prince Charles and Prince William are both pieces of shit. I said it before, and I will say it a million times. How could Prince Charles turn his back on his own son and grandson? Well, we know it’s because he’s literally garbage. But having the confirmation is always nice. He stopped taking Harry’s calls. And Harry is the one who feels that it’s his responsibility to repair their relationship? Get the fuck out of here! His father is the one who did something wrong — he should make the effort to repair their relationship. He should be groveling.

And Prince William. How could we have known back in the late ’90s that he’d turn into such a shit? He’s so fucking concerned with keeping up appearances that he’d let his little brother (and his nephew) suffer like that? And somehow this is Meghan Markle’s fault too? Because it’s easier to blame her than to admit that William has fallen prey to the institution of the royal family and totally forgot that it’s also family. He knows that if the press was treating his boring-ass wife the way they treated his sister-in-law, he’d do whatever it took to make them stop. So why would he shun his brother? To keep up appearances. I hope the little bit of hair he has left makes a swift exit from his skull. Coward-ass punk.

I’m glad Meghan Markle had the opportunity to finally tell the truth about what happened to her. When Harry explained that most of the deals they were making were to fund security, my heart broke. They can’t even get the security they need to feel safe and secure. Their little family will always be walking around with targets on their backs. All because they dared to want to live their lives without being abused.

That being said, though, you can see the relief in their eyes. They can finally be free and live the lives they design. Their children will have that same freedom. And that’s absolutely worth it. I’m so excited to see what they do next.