Megxit, the exit of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry from Great Britain, means we Canadians will be seeing more of the young(ish) royal couple. We Canadians do love our royals, at least most of us do. Some of us are thrilled and proud of the fact Harry and Meghan have chosen Canada as refuge from their fishbowl (AKA royal lifestyle), others not so much.
Speculation has been frantic this past week, since the (for now) Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they wish to “step back” from their royal duties. After a family meeting, the Queen announced she has given the couple permission to move to Canada part time. What they will do here is still up for speculation.
What choice did she have, really? Like any concerned parent, she worries about her grandson and wants the best for him. The signs have been there for a while now, long before Meghan even came on the scene, how severely affected Harry was by the tragic loss of his beloved Mum when he was just twelve years old. Most people are greatly affected by the loss of their mom at any age. It would be horrible for a child to go through a similar loss, but the fact that Harry’s (and William’s) every move has been on display since he was born would only add to the trauma. Every tear, smile and action scrutinized and photographed for everyone to judge. Is it any wonder he doesn’t want that lifestyle for his wife and son?
Critics are blaming Meghan for disrupting the royal family by influencing and controlling a more naïve Harry. I believe however, that he was influenced more by his mother’s choice of charitable work when she was alive and even more so by the cause of her untimely death. Harry said so himself how “every flash of a camera brings it all back” last summer in an interview in Africa. He saw (and lived through) his mother’s anguish for years, with the good, the bad and the downright ugly press coverage omnipresent for all to see.
In his early twenties, Harry joined the military, spending ten years serving his country, including two tours in Afghanistan. Some analysts believe those years were to find a sense of accomplishment and purpose in his life, prompted by the fragile state of his mental health.
Whatever the reason for Megxit, the fact that Harry is (perhaps downgraded to was) only sixth in line to the throne (behind his father, brother, two nephews and one niece) doesn’t make a potential abdication a big deal. To us at least. His grandmother would feel differently of course.
The Queen’s latest announcement has created a whole new frenzy and the media are running with it. What will they do in Canada? Will they still be Duke and Duchess of Sussex? Will Harry become our next Governor General? Will Meghan return to acting or perhaps take up directing? Will they live in British Columbia, where they celebrated Christmas and New Years, or Toronto where Meghan lived for years and where the couple met? What are the Canadian rules and laws to be considered? (immigration, working visas etc) Stay tuned for more details.
Rumours have it Justin Trudeau has already told the Queen that Canadians would pay for the couple’s security when they are on Canadian soil. I think the Canadian taxpayers might have something to say about that, in fact I saw a petition to that tune going around Facebook already. Surely the couple’s new quest for financial independence will include paying their own security bills, unless the Queen ticks off her own taxpayers by requesting that the couple’s security expenses will continue to be covered by Scotland Yard. Even when they are living in Canada!
The fact that the younger couples, especially Harry and Meghan, William and Kate, have added a much needed boost of vitality and popularity to the aging monarchy in Britain cannot be denied. I admit I am a sucker for a good love story, and I have always loved Prince Harry, Prince William and their beautiful, kind mother. Hopefully Megxit is merely the next chapter in Harry and Meghan’s love story and not a more sinister warning of impending heartbreak for Harry in the form of another royal scandal as the haters believe.
Perhaps Megxit will boost a waning interest in the monarchy here in Canada. We could certainly use their positive energy, compassion for those less privileged, love of nature etc., etc., etc.,
