Meghan and Harry: The Real Story

of the British press, who were delighted to be released from their self-imposed restraint. Although Meghan’s failure to invite either side of her family led both the Markle and the Johnson/Ragland clans to feel that they had been cast in the role of pariah in front of the whole world, the British media were careful not to mock the Raglands presumably because they feared accusations of colour prejudice should they do so. But they had no such compunction where the Caucasian Markles were concerned. The whole Markle family felt that Meghan had set them up for ridicule by not inviting them, a view which was confirmed as accurate when the British papers set about making them all look as ridiculous as possible. There was a cruel and inhumane element to the reportage which was the British tabloids at their worst. They behaved as if they had a right to mock the family because Meghan and Harry had such scant respect for them that they had not even condescended to acknowledge their existence with invitations. Although Tom Sr exceptionally had been the only one to be asked, this did not stop them from portraying him up as a sloppy, sleazy slob. He was pictured in the most unflattering poses, the implication being that he was a drunkard as well as a dolt and an oik. Because his whole life had been spent in television, Tom Sr knew that they were making a fool of him, so he agreed to stage some photographs with what seemed a friendly paparazzo. When he realised that he had been set up and had been made to look a complete idiot, he was so distressed that he suffered a heart attack and was hospitalised in Mexico. The Mail on Sunday then ran an expose presenting him in the most unflattering light, after which he had a second heart attack. This time, he was taken to the Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center in California, where he had stents inserted to open up his blocked arteries, running up a bill of some $130,000. He was discharged on the 17th May and warned that he could not travel.

Although Tom Sr and Meghan were in touch after the first heart attack, and she encouraged him to come over and not pull out of walking her down the aisle, as he had said he intended to do, so great was the embarrassment, once he had his second heart attack, that she declined to contact him and refused to respond on the many occasions he tried to get in touch with her. Harry, on the other hand, did text Tom. He berated him for upsetting Meghan, while failing to ask the man who was about to become his father-in-law how he was following his second heart attack.

Wounded feelings and poor judgement were about to make what the press had already dubbed the Markle Debacle into something which was not only damaging and destructive but would cause unnecessary damage and pain to all the parties involved.

CHAPTER 5

As marriage loomed for Harry and Meghan, the Markles and Ragland/Johnsons were not the only families whose equilibrium was dashed along with their hopes and expectations. So too were the Royal Family’s, though for them there appeared to be compensations which would balance the downside.

Despite the considerable advantage that Meghan’s colour was, and the demonstrably apparent love between the couple, there was the inconvenient fact that Meghan had a past that could damage the prestige of the Royal Family if the press did not remain on side. As stated elsewhere, no one associates closely with the Royal Family without their background being investigated by the palace. I know of many examples where the royal concerned has been quietly informed that it will not be appropriate for him to continue seeing so and so. The palace broke up Prince Andrew and Koo Stark and tried to break up Charles and Camilla. They would have succeeded, too, had the Prince of Wales not informed the powers-that-be that she was a ‘non-negotiable’ part of his life.

The interventions have not been limited to royals’ personal lives. Sometimes it has been someone with whom a royal is involved professionally. As long ago as the 1970s, Princess Alexandra’s husband the Hon. Sir Angus Ogilvy was made to resign his directorships and cease functioning as a businessman in the light of the Lonrho scandal, when that company was discovered breaking sanctions against Rhodesia.

Not even charity provides a sanctuary. Because it is deemed to be a valid professional part of a royal’s life, and there are many donors who have made fortunes dubiously then tried to gain respectability by donating large sums to royal causes, the fundraising activities of royal charities, or of charities involved with the royals, are closely watched. I know of one case, which has never been made public, in which one of the most senior royals was banned from taking further sums on behalf of his primary charity from a particularly generous donor who was reputed, whether fairly or otherwise is beside the point, to have murdered two spouses. The ban extended to that individual being admitted into any royal palace in any capacity whatsoever.

Because the palace has always functioned under the premise that there are times when the quid simply isn’t worth the pro quo, intervention never comes as a surprise to royals who are intent on pushing the boundaries. They know that these lines of demarcation have been drawn to preserve the integrity and reputation of the monarchy. It is rare indeed when a royal does as Prince Charles did when he refused to give up Camilla.

Meghan’s colour was an advantage that gave her and Harry flexibility they would never have otherwise had. There is little doubt that there would have been behind-the-scenes manoeuvres to break up the relationship before it could lead to marriage, had she been white. The objections lay with the tales of her past which Harry referred to in his statement