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Miranda Devine: Racism is a convenient excuse for Meghan’s poor behaviour

Despite the royal family and British public welcoming her with open arms, Meghan Markle seems intent on blaming everyone but herself for her and Harry’s recent misery, writes Miranda Devine.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell announcement

There’s a ring of truth to the stories out of Britain that Meghan Markle wanted to take Prince Harry home to live in Los Angeles – but only after Donald Trump leaves office.

She’ll have a long wait if that’s the case. Baby Archie will be saying “aboot” instead of “about” by then.

The story is unsourced but it’s believable because of the cliched woke sensibility that B-grade actor Meghan has imported into the British royal family.

It’s the sort of politics you pick up with your designer knock-offs at Zara, requiring zero thought but a lot of attitude.

Before she married Harry, the 38-year-old American bi-racial divorcee labelled Trump a vile misogynist and vowed to move to Canada if he won the 2016 election.

When the Queen hosted a banquet last June for the American president at Buckingham Palace, Meghan and Harry were conspicuous no-shows, using Meghan’s maternity leave as an excuse, even though she attended other events at the time and seemed perfectly fine.

The term “progressive” in the pair’s Megxit statement – as in their hoped-for “progressive new role within this institution” – says it all.

MORE OPINION: Meghan and Harry haven’t won the war yet

They want to be free to use Harry’s royal pedigree to champion the wokest of woke causes, like the vacuous Hollywood celebrity set Meghan aspires to join. This attitude, of course, is in stark contrast to the Queen who always has remained neutral on contentious political and social issues in order to preserve the monarchy’s prestige as a symbol of unity rather than division.

Rumblings that the marriage would end in tears for Prince Harry began the moment their engagement was announced. Picture: Ben Stansall/AFP
Rumblings that the marriage would end in tears for Prince Harry began the moment their engagement was announced. Picture: Ben Stansall/AFP

Meghan is simply an attention-seeking social climber unwilling to subsume her ego to the institution of the monarchy or play second fiddle to her sister-in-law, the impeccable future Queen, Kate Middleton.

Stories that Meghan hasn’t spoken to Kate for six months and has alienated staff with unreasonable demands are unsourced so need to be taken with a grain of salt. But there is an embarrassing video clip doing the rounds in which we can see for ourselves the power she exerts over Harry.

You can watch as Harry abases himself to ask a bemused Bob Iger, Disney CEO, to give Meghan a job.

“You know she does voiceovers” Harry says. “Ah, really. I did not know that”, replies Iger, spinning towards his wife.

MORE OPINION: Let’s hear it for the royal family’s quiet achiever, Kate Middleton

“You seem surprised,” says Harry, stepping forward and looking a little desperate. “But yeah, she’s really interested,” he says, pointing to Meghan who is nearby chatting up Beyonce and studiously avoiding her husband’s eye.

“Sure,” says Iger, politely. “We’d love to try”.

Never once does Meghan come to the rescue of the husband she obviously has put up to it. After he’s done, she beckons him over to talk to Beyonce and Jay-Z, leaving the Igers like shags on a rock. Meghan wasn’t about to sully her dignity by asking the Disney boss for a job but she didn’t mind having her husband do the dirty work.

The fallout from Harry and Meghan’s announcement that they plan to step down as senior royals has been huge. Picture: Toby Melville/AFP
The fallout from Harry and Meghan’s announcement that they plan to step down as senior royals has been huge. Picture: Toby Melville/AFP

Harry is not the first man to be bewitched by a beautiful woman and behave in ways he will later regret. It’s an age-old story which speaks of his soft heart and innate chivalry.

Meghan has tapped into his deepest fears of the woman he loves being hounded to death by the paparazzi as his beloved mother Diana was. This is why he is so fiercely protective, and it is why Meghan wasted no time playing the victim, with a new twist of racism.

But it’s not racism which caused the Megxit crisis – the royal family and British public couldn’t have been more welcoming when Meghan suddenly arrived on the scene. She was hailed as a breath of fresh air for the monarchy.

MORE OPINION: Meghan and Harry’s big move will be anything but easy

If they were racist, the royals would not have embraced Meghan into their family or laid on a lavish wedding with all the bells and whistles.

Racism is just a convenient excuse and what a slap in the face to the 93-year-old Queen.

Harry spent his first 33 years content in the bosom of the royal family. Trouble only arrived when he married Meghan a mere 20 months ago.

In her conciliatory statement released on Monday after a family conference about the Sussexes’ future, the Queen was the epitome of grace and charity.

“We respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family,” she wrote.

It’s more than Meghan and Harry deserve for behaving like spoiled brats. Stay tuned as they live out the parable of the Prodigal Son while William and Kate continue to do their duty.

@mirandadevine

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/miranda-devine-racism-is-a-convenient-excuse-for-meghans-poor-behaviour/news-story/8f52fbf28d2bd4bcdae8e691f15b7022