I saw a clip of the documentary yesterday where Meghan was saying something like she knew there would be criticism in her new role but she expected that the criticism would be fair. I found that statement shocking. Presuming she actually meant what she said, it shows an unbelievable level of naivety from someone who was marrying into the British Royal Family. Meghan should have done her homework, especially since she apparently had British friends telling her how bad things would be, but I think the ultimate responsibility for how apparently miserable things have been for her lies with Harry. He knew Meghan had very little exposure to the UK, let alone to its media as it relates to his family. And he also knew, or should have known, that what may be a good media and publicity strategy for a minor American celebrity is likely going to be a disaster for a British Royal couple in their dealings with the British press.
I’ll be blunt and say that Harry strikes me as well meaning but immature, and as someone who was a little too attached to the “Prince of Hearts” persona he cultivated and the media encouraged. A mature man would have insisted his fiancée spend a significant amount of time in the UK before they got engaged. I would say a year living and working in London would have given Meghan a good amount of exposure to the media and how relentless and sometimes unfair it would be. And it would have given her and Harry a chance to see how well they dealt with the stress of it all as a couple. Then they could have moved forward with the engagement, or not.
Because the thing is, all the negative press may be intolerable for Harry and Meghan but it’s not unusual. Kate and her family were crucified in the press on a regular basis before she married William. Camilla was savaged for years. The coverage of Diana and Sarah Ferguson was never ending and was often vulgar to the point of being disgusting. And, with the exception of Kate, this was all before the internet. Of the above I would say Kate and Camila have been the most successful in dealing with all this and I think it’s because they’ve never tried to explain how hard it’s been for them. They know that anything they say, and any action they take, will just give the press more of what it wants. Statements and lawsuits are what the press wants, and the more dramatic the better. With rare exceptions the only way to win is to refuse to play the game at all.
I would advise them to keep their heads down, take some deep breaths and remember that 99 percent their words and actions should be focused on the good work they are privileged to do on behalf of the Queen and their country. The press will continue with its drama but Meghan and Harry can make their lives a whole lot easier by deciding not to participate in it.