Have you heard the news? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided to quit the royal family. Well, maybe not exactly quit. But, nevertheless, they released this statement to the press: “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” As a woman who believes in tradition, duty, and responsibility, many of Meghan's actions have struck me. She has constantly flouted the rules - she doesn't follow the dress codes, she makes her political leanings known, she still acts like a Hollywood celebrity even though being a part of the royal family dictates a whole new list of rules. And this most recent decision to release a statement without consulting with the Queen - her husband's grandmother - was surprising, if not downright disrespectful. So for all of those who are defending Harry and Meghan's choice, here are 5 reasons why you may want to reconsider: 1. When you marry someone, you marry their responsibilities. Many people discuss love as though it's something entirely uncontrollable, as well as entirely separate from all of the responsibilities that come with it. But here's the thing: when you marry someone, you marry ALL OF THEM. You marry their family, their struggles, their baggage. If you marry a man with debt, guess what? You have debt too. If you marry a man who is a recovering alcoholic, guess what? You now have to help him with his journey. If you marry a prince, guess what? You are part of a royal family. You now have all the duties and responsibilities that go along with that choice. If Meghan didn't want to marry a prince, she could have left England and never come back. There are many ways you can prevent yourself from falling in love, especially when you're not seeing that person every day - but that's a topic for another time. Meghan chose to get involved with Harry. That meant getting involved with every part of him. Including his royal duties. 2. It's your spouse's responsibility to support and bolster you in your duties, not help you run away. This is something I think is overlooked frequently in today's society. The best relationships are the ones that bolster you in your faith, your job, your duties - not help you shirk them. Prince Harry may have been born into a position that he did not want, but it is his duty to find purpose in his role. Meghan, on the other hand, married into this world voluntarily. Her responsibility is to help her husband when he is struggling to find meaning. She should be by his side, helping him when times are hard instead of encouraging him to recuse himself from his birthright. It's not easy - but finding purpose in duty is a worthy cause. 3. Meghan signed up for this life. Some women have responded by saying, "It's her life." That's true. I don't deny that. But she chose to marry a prince. That's the first and most essential point. By marrying a prince, she accepted upon herself a life of royalty. In trying to upend the entire royal structure, she and Harry are acting rashly and irresponsibly, throwing out tradition in favor of the here and now. 4. Being a royal is an essentially selfless act. As a part of the royal family, you are there to serve your country and your people. It's a selfless life, in a way, although you are definitely rewarded in beautiful clothing, delicious food, and plentiful help. But much of your life is spent doing charity work, attending official engagements, and supporting your country. Harry and Meghan have essentially said that they are choosing not to engage in the selfless act of being royal. They would rather pursue their own interests (including charity work, although perhaps it's political and not in line with the royal dictate) - which for the average person, might make sense. But for someone whose duty is to serve his nation, even if his capacity is not as king, Prince Harry has shirked his duty with the encouragement of his wife. 5. Tradition isn't bad. Last but not least, I'd like to address tradition. We live in a world that eschews tradition, says that the time has come for things to change. Even the terrible Netflix trilogy beginning with "The Christmas Prince" is obsessed with the idea that the king and queen need to throw out the old and bring in the new. But there's a reason that traditions last. There's a reason that entire cultures are built on tradition. It's a beautiful thing to look at a monarchy, a family, that has lasted generations, and is still serving its people. It's nice to see traditional families and women dressing like ladies and men dressing like gentlemen. Yes, sometimes things need to change. But Harry and Meghan seem to snarkily shake a finger at royal tradition. The Queen says to wear tights? Meghan goes bare-legged in her engagement photo shoot. The royal family discusses announcements before they're made? Harry and Meghan announce they are stepping back from their royal duties without consulting Kensington Palace. This is not a respectful choice made after careful studying of the rules and clear thought regarding changes that could be instituted. This is the action of a couple who is going to do what they want, regardless of the outcome. And that is the problem. Do you agree? What do you think? Let me know in the comments down below! YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...
8 Comments
JoAnn
1/9/2020 01:59:28 pm
Abby, I normally agree with you on everything, but I disagree with you on this. I agree with all your points, but not your conclusion. I really think we need to give them more grace than what you’re giving them. Harry watched his mother live a life she was tormented by—, depression, affairs, substance abuse, and constant relentless hounding from press that left her a prisoner in her home and eventually killed her (in some way). He said in a recent interview that his greatest fear is it happening again to Megan, that every time he hears a click he’s scared. In that same interview you could see Megan was on the verge of tears, broken, overwhelmed and as she put it, “not okay”. When she made the pledge to marry into the family, she might not have known juts how cruel and relentless the press was going to be. It always right to stick out your commitments whether you feel like it or not, but this is where she’s at. When you’re broken and mentally unstable, you can’t serve anyone else. Harry’s commitment is first to God to take care of his wife and child, country second. I don’t think he’s going to let what happened to his mom happen to his wife. I think they are doing the right thing.
Reply
Anna
1/9/2020 07:15:10 pm
I agree. I love Abby but here she is judging the (extremely difficult) decision made by a couple in a situation that the vast majority of people cannot even begin to understand. Tradition is good and important but I believe that Harry and Meghan are doing their best to honor it while also taking the necessary steps to care for their own marriage and mental health.
Reply
Classically Abby
1/10/2020 07:09:26 am
Thank you both for your thoughtful responses!! I really appreciate you taking the time to share them. I definitely understand your point of view and where you're coming from. My greatest takeaway is that being a royal is such a massive responsibility that both of them should have, throughout the process of their courtship, considered who they were marrying and if each of them could have handled the responsibility. But I understand your points and you've given me more to think about!
Alexa
1/14/2020 01:20:36 pm
I understand your points but I think I have to agree with the other people who commented! One thing that's really gotten to me is how people from the press have reacted so childishly. They will post pictures of them and create whole narratives of what they think was going on in their heads at the time: "Harry looks so miserable!" "The look on her face shows how controlling she is" --Meanwhile they will just be standing there in the photo.
Reply
Diana
1/17/2020 08:09:18 am
I completely agree with your assessment! It's sad they're quitting a role that can infuence so many.
Reply
Anna
1/17/2020 10:10:39 am
I completely agree with you, Abby! With great privilege comes great responsibility. Although I fully support the concept of them living a more “quiet” life, that should have been approved by the Royal Family in a private manner first instead of announcing it publicly and then demanding it. It is unfortunate how their marriage seems to have separated them from his family, because, as you said, you marry the family when you marry your spouse.
Reply
Sarah
1/18/2020 09:48:51 am
Abby, I completely agree with you! I think this is why the royal family has a reputation for being picking as to whom they are "allowed" to marry. It is a huge commitment, and I guess one Meghan did not take seriously. I think it would have gone over better if he had abdicated his responsibilities prior to marrying, because now it feels like a slap in the face to GB.
Reply
Kim
3/8/2021 07:07:58 am
As a woman if your child was threatened before they were even born would you not leave? You’re sick in the head if you think what they did was wrong. Clearly you’re unaware of what they went through to MAKE that decision. YES she knew what she was getting into but for them to lead her to suicidal thoughts and you still think what she did was wrong? Go lick the Royals fucking boots as you do.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
CategoriesAuthorHey! I'm Abby, the creator of Classically Abby, a commentary, opera, beauty, and lifestyle brand dedicated to looking at the world from a classic perspective. I'm the first Conservative Influencer and I'm an opera singer with three degrees in performance! Archives
June 2021
|