Telling Truths or Lies?

Disclaimer: The purpose of this piece is not to take a side so much as it is to analyze every possibility.

The Reality:

First, allegations have been made from both side of the camp. Second, there is no evidence so far to prove or disprove either side of things. Third, people are simply taking a side and assuming that the side they do not support is lying. Fourth, this does not say much about the situation within the royal family. It simply is more telling about the political inclinations and biases of most people commenting on this. Lastly, you do not clap with just one hand.

The Assumptions:

Princess Diana's death affected Prince Harry and that's he reason he left

That is a valid assumption, especially given the circumstances of Princess Diana's life and how young she was when she died. To mock her son and say he should have gotten over it by now, is very much tasteless. To criticize Prince Harry for not caring about royalty when his mother loved being a royal, again is a cheap shot. A child can truly care for and respect their parent(s) without having to agree with everything their parents stand for. And to expect him to move on from his mother's unfortunate circumstances while having to grow up with constant reminders is unrealistic. His brother may have moved one, however everyone is not made the same.

Meghan Markle is a social climber, a bully, and a liar

The terms social climber essentially means someone who is eager to gain a higher socio-economic status. Honestly, though do not most humans aspire to achieve this? It reminds me of Manny Gutierrez aka Manny MUA, who was accused of being a bad friend in order to rub shoulders with even more successful people. Yes, it is not the most admirable trait, but neither is it evil, and Meghan Markle (not that we really know her intentions) is not the only one "guilty" of it. Most of us are.

Markle is a bully. Initially when this allegation started it sounded unrealistic. But after the Oprah interview, it sounds more reasonable that Markle's behavior with the staff could have been abusive. So it sounded unrealistic for two reasons. First, Markle had become a member of a family which was very foreign and restrictive. It just seems improbable (not impossible mind you) that she would have started with this kind of behavior so soon into her royal life. Second, how impossible is it for one person to falsely claim Markle is a bully and for it to turn into a snowball effect.

However, if Markle was suffering from mental health issues caused by the royal life, it is likely that she could have behaved really badly against royal staff. Side not, I am not claiming all people who suffer with mental health issues behave badly. Only that some people like myself do, and in Markle's case this reality makes more sense as to why she could have misbehaved with the staff. Either way, this is not an excuse just a realistic reason where Markle possibly bullied her staff.

The only 'lie' of Markle's that could very much be a lie is her claims of not having known the royal family or not having done research on the prince. Admittedly, that's a really hard sell. Is it impossible in this self-absorbed individualistic culture we find ourselves in? No, it's not. I've met people who don't know about Adolf Hitler. Unless, they were trolling me. I am a person who hasn't at times known very popular, or should I say, infamous people. I will say this that there are those people who on principle refuse to research their possible mates. Some find it more romantic or authentic to learn about each other directly. In prince Harry's case perhaps Markle did not want to rely on media because it would only give her an image and not the the real reflection.

Regardless, of it being a truth or a lie, it was very naive at best to state it publicly. Even if her claims are true, they are going to be very hard to believe. And if it was a lie, she obtusely could have thought it would make her look cute.

To conclude these assumptions Markle's supposed social climbing, bullying, and dishonest tendencies are not deserving of the media coverage and criticism (i.e. anger) that it has received. Can British media honestly for once debate over everything the royal family have stolen from other nations. Or the second prince for instance. Please. Honestly, don't throw rocks when you live in glass houses. The sheer hypocrisy.

No title, no security!

The context of these two allegations are really not clear. As to the no title aspect (eye roll), if it is simply protocol, I don't see the couple's issue. But if the no title conversation was relating to when Prince Charles becomes King, then I can see what the issue is.

The context of no security is perhaps a bit more clear. I can understand the critiques' argument that Harry can afford it himself, and he is being entitled. However, I don't think the issue here is about money per-say. I think it's more so to do with Prince Charles not being willing to do something for Harry and his family that he would for Prince William. It seemed as if Harry was saying that his family (his father essentially) was not treating his and his brother's family equally under the guise of royal rules. Many can argue that that's royalty, heir and the spare. However, I can only imagine it's not the nicest of feelings.

They wanted privacy! They wanted freedom!

On the privacy aspect, it seems obvious now that what the couple meant was they wanted privacy from the British media. Not that they wanted to live reclusively completely. If anything, it seems like they announced that as their reason for leaving rashly without really thinking it through to be honest. But even if what they meant was that the wanted to do away with all media, they are allowed to change their mind.

I was under the impression that prince Harry and Meghan Markle wanted to be a part of the royal family and do royal duties but at a lower scale. But they were told, all in or all out. So this freedom narrative seems superfluous.

The monarchy is a racist institution

I think to say members of the royal family are racist today is unhelpful to the cause of race relations. Without concrete proof we cannot make such accusations on individual members of the family. Not even the institution really. Because the Queen by herself is the institution itself.

We can however say that it is likely that some people, not all, within the huge extended royal family can be racist. It is only reasonable to expect it given their history of centuries of colonialism. Now as stated before we cannot claim the institution is racist today, because that is equivalent of saying that the queen is racist. And fact of the matter is, we don't know that to be true or false. I personally don't think she is.

However, the queen and her family have benefited tremendously from the severely inhumane racist activities of their recent ancestors. And until they proactively try to repair the damages their ancestors caused in meaningful measures, many people will always call them racist. Even if that is not true for individual members of the family right now.

Now, the claims made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could both very much be true and or very much be a lie. Just because they did not disclose who said such things to them, does not mean they were lying. If anything they wanted to explain why they were so hurt (because it came from someone close to Harry), while still protecting the racist senior royal. If they were lying, well then that's means that they are despicable people to have as family.

However, we the viewers should only take everything with a grain of salt. These secretive bunch of rich people, especially a monarchy, should not have the ability to make us common folk fight.

My conspiracies or assumptions

Harry obviously has acted like a rebel against royal protocol many times. His marriage to someone like Meghan Markle is nothing short of that. A divorcee, an American, half-black, actress, and from a broken family. Yeah, not the common (ideal ahem ideal) royal wife. And Prince Charles finally was over the behavior of his "ne'er-do-well son" that possibly is not even his if rumours are to be believed.

The royal family paid off the couple to take away the spotlight from Andrew's and his special friendship. I honestly think this might be it.

Conclusion

I can provide a very generous benefit of doubt about Meghan Markle not lying about not knowing anything royal family before the marriage. Admittedly a larger part of me doesn't buy it. Understandably, this kind of seemingly obvious lie is going to make her look unreliable. But her one lie does not mean everything she says is a lie.

I do believe that she could have been suffering with suicidal ideation. For sensitive people, it's even easier to fall into such a state. And that brings me to my next point. I think there was an incompatible clash between someone who is hyper-sensitive and a family that is very much unsusceptible and dry.

As normal people I can completely understand why it is hard to sympathize with them. Definitely their suffering is not comparable to most people's. Still, I'll just point out that it is human nature to be unhappy regardless of what privileges one may or may not have. Everyone can suffer in their own right in their lives. So I don't feel comfortable when people more or less imply that the couple have no right to feel the way they feel because of thier privilege.

To conclude, I honestly think Prince Harry simply did not have a choice. A new marriage, a young child, and his wife was not coping. What could he have done? Overall, I think Meghan Markle's is not entirely dishonest in light of her perception of her life as a royal member.

Some other commentaries on the situation

In support of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

• Young woman's perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt3FPv7mva8
• A doctor's perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np8oFQ_CJMs&t=618s
• Body language analyst's perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcM3zQeQxM4&t=5s

Neutral Stances (Sort of)

• Two comedians/commentators perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyo-3Lv8n1k
• Arabic man's perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYQhoyj1lQ8
• Male psychologist's perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trnNrv_4OeI
• Male therapist's perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN6kRwVxihI

Those who don't support Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

• A British author's perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgrDFygFBIU
• Male psychologist's perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7K7UVMNarw
• Libertarian political commentator's perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixz1bfadHhs&t=6s
• Meghan's anti-fan professional pursuant: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIdvTZ6Y2JghQLFwnE0otzQ