The Sussexes: Harry, Meghan and Over 120 Million Dollars

I'm not obsessed with the British royal family. At least, that is what I tell myself as I have binge-watched all seasons of The Crown, Oprah's interview with Harry and Meghan, and their Netflix docuseries. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I have referred to Harry and Meghan as the Kardashians of the British royal family.

Harry's tell-all book and the couple's package deal with Netflix using their titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in promotions are fetching them over 120 million dollars. Not bad for a couple who resigned as senior-ranking working royals and cited media scrutiny as one of the reasons for leaving that life behind them. Am I the only one who thinks that a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey, a tell-all book, and a six-part Netflix docuseries are the worst ways to avoid the spotlight and British media scrutiny?

Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash

Were you shocked that the all-white British royal family, one of the world's oldest institutions, may have members and close associates who have implicit bias or are just racists? I wasn't. What bothered me was that Harry and Meghan were willing to say that there is racism, be it implicit or not, in the royal family, but were not willing to disclose who. Are they holding off that information for more money?

Speculations in the media... Harry and Meghan were causing the very thing that they accused the media of doing to Meghan, a leak of snippets that allows the media to speculate and build mainly false narratives. I guess it is okay when they are getting paid millions of dollars to share a snippet to help the media speculate and build narratives. Don't get me wrong... I do feel for Harry and Meghan.

Honestly, I don't think Harry got over the trauma of suddenly losing Princess Diana at a young age. His anger at the media, especially the British tabloids, must be understandably tremendous. His grief was controlled with expectations and in public, so it is understandable that he may not have had a chance to truly grieve over his mom's death... She was killed in a car chase by the paparazzi.

It is understandable that Meghan being chased and scrutinized by the media may have triggered what has been within him all those years. The grief, anger, sadness, fear... I get it, but is this healthy for him? 

And, Meghan! I'm sure marrying into one of the oldest and whitest institutions in the world when her exposure to the British royals may have been you know, as she referred to in the docuseries, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament show. Yes, I rolled my eyes when she said that. The implicit bias and outright racism she endured... She could probably write a book about her experience and fill hundreds of pages.

None of what she endured is okay. I get that she froze in racism, scrutiny, and indifference from the royal family to what she was experiencing. No one from the family could've related to her, how it was very different for her because she wasn't being attacked as an American, an actress, or for simply being a member of the royal family. She was being attacked for being Black.  

Other than sympathy towards Meghan, there isn't much to be said about her father. I have a complicated relationship with my dad, so I get that a parent can betray a child with neither intentions nor indifference. However, that doesn't mean that it isn't painful.

It is complicated. There is no clear team to cheer for. We can say our perspectives about the House of Windsor, Harry, and Meghan; however, I can't escape that we are watching a family break apart with the world speculating as entertainment.