A Modern day fairytale? Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

   Author: Maya Lee   

     Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be one of the most notable and popular couples universally and in American pop culture. The story of their romance symbolizes a modern-day fairytale and dream come true to many. Nevertheless, the couple's interracial identity has also made people question if their relationship truly is happily ever after.

    Meghan Markle, an American actress, is a light-skinned mixed-race Black woman. Her husband, Prince Harry is a white man and a British Royal.  Their relationship started in 2016 and gained much attention. The couple met because a mutual friend set them up on a date. Soon after, Harry and Meghan were spotted vacationing. Within a year of meeting, the pair became engaged. Prince Harry and Meghan were married in May 2018.  Their first child, a son, was born a year later and is now three years old. In 2021, the couple had their second child, a daughter, who is one. 

    Despite the romantic story of their whirlwind romance, the couple's relationship was scrutinized, in and outside of Buckingham. The majority of the scrutiny could be attributed to their identity as an interracial couple. Headlines ran that called Meghan “straight outta Compton”, a term with negative connotation due to its association with N.W.A a rap group and gang violence. By referring to Meghan as this, it indicated that Meghan, a Black woman, was not worthy to be with White royalty. As racist tabloids poured in, The Royal family did not show public support for the relationship. Prince Harry remarked in an interview, “There was an opportunity—many opportunities—for my family to show some public support…Yet no one from my family ever said anything.” 

Further, members of The Royal family expressed concerns about how dark the skin tone of the couple's child would be. 

In a special interview with Oprah, Meghan Markle confessed that she noticed and was affected by the way the media treated her,  in comparison to Kate Middleton. The Media slammed and uniquely dissected her because of her intersectional identity of being a Black woman. It became glaring that the criticism she received was misogynoir. Meghan Markle notes in her podcast that the media treated her this way because she is a Black woman. 

“I mean, if there's any time in my life that it's been more focused on my race, it's only once I started dating my husband. Then I started to understand what it was like to be treated like a Black woman. Because up until then, I had been treated like a mixed woman. And things really shifted."

The universal racism and in-house racism that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry faced led to them having mental health struggles. Markle admitted in several interviews that her mental health was not well and that she developed suicidal ideations. The trauma that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry experienced led to a racial awakening for the Prince. 

    In an interview with Oprah, Prince Harry revealed growing up, he wasn't educated on anti-black racism, and he was blind to it. The Prince admitted he only learned about racism and his royal family's racist history once he started dating Meghan. It should be acknowledged that Prince Harry was a good partner to Meghan by educating himself on things that negatively impacted her. However, it is problematic that he only educated himself on racism because of the direct impact it had on someone in his inner circle. 

The endless scrutiny and condemnation led to the couple stepping back from their positions as senior members of the royal family and moving to California in 2020. In an interview with CBS in 2021, Harry said his actions were guided by the lack of understanding and support from the British royal family. It is important to cite that just because the couple stepped down from their positions in the royal family and moved to the States does not mean they no longer face criticism. Just recently, Meghan was heavily criticized for her behavior at the Queen’s funeral, despite her not breaking royal rules and firm expectations. Additionally, If you search Meghan Markle and Prince Harry racism on google, you’ll get over 20.5 million hits. The evidence is abundant and alarming, royalty is no exception to the racism and discrimination that interracial couples face. 

However, with all the criticism the couple has faced, they've fought back. Prince Harry called out and denounced the racist behavior of the tabloids and stood up for his wife. Second, he removed himself and his wife from a detrimental situation. Most importantly, he educated himself on Anti-Black racism. Meghan called out the racism she experienced from tabloids and the monarchy. The couple did interviews bringing attention to the institutional racism of the British Monarchy and America. All the actions the couple took to protect their marriage and speak out against racism have earned them the JFK Ripple of Hope award. The royal pair is expected to be given the award in December 2022. While not every interracial can be awarded for their strength and defiance, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle provide hope to interracial couples that their love can withstand institutional racism.

Author: Maya Lee

Sources:

https://allthatsinteresting.com/famous-interracial-couples/3

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a35796073/prince-harry-meghan-markle-interracial-relationship-racism/

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a41028927/meghan-markle-dating-prince-harry-black-woman-archetypes-quote/