What the Royal Family Must Learn From The Markle Debacle

Meghan Markle Named One of GQ’s Most Influential people in Britain

In just two short years, Meghan Markle has gotten to live out the fantasy of every teenage girl who’s ever pined over the redheaded prince. An institution that was starting to look a little stuffy and dated suddenly got a glamorous Hollywood-style makeover as soon as Meghan confidently strutted in with her all-American sense of pomp and theatricality. She’s someone I’ve seen come under fire recently from the British public who see her as some sort of home-wrecker with a plot to wreak havoc upon one of Britain’s most sacred institutions.

Frankly, I find this to be unfounded, and it’s an opinion often spouted by staunch Monarchists who’d rather have a raging man-eating Komodo dragon join the family than an American. Her other critics are motivated by jealousy of her lavish lifestyle and lack of need to do a day’s work in her life – a more understandable sentiment. If you ask me, she’s completely harmless. Whether premeditated or not, Meghan has successfully revamped the royal image, and taken a little bit of it back with her, leaving the rest stunned and shocked by the whirlwind that just befell them.

Ratings for her new sitcom, The Markle Debacle, have been so good, it’s managed to revitalise some public interest in the Royal Family. Much of the appeal for fans has been the ambiguous nature of the series’ protagonist. Has Meghan been playing the part of a Machiavellian social climber, hell-bent on infiltrating the Royal Family, tearing it apart by manipulating one of its most high profile members? Hell, even if she is, it’s impressive what she’s achieved. Or is she simply a lucky dreamer who fell for the young prince and has found herself in over her head in yet another family scuffle? Either way, it’s about time a little bit of drama was added so this family can maintain some relevance in the modern world.

Meghan’s training in the show ‘Suits’ has proven invaluable. While The Markle Debacle is not a sitcom I’ll watch much of, it’s proven one thing; the days of the Royals being distant enigmas with no contact with the commoners are gone. If you’d have asked me a couple of years ago to name the latest Royal sprog, I’d have probably said it was Princess Anne.

It is no surprise then, that Meghan has secured a place in GQ’s 50 Most Influential People of 2019. The name of the PR game these days is drama, and our favourite trans-Atlantic princess has proven it to the rest of them. Next, I think William could fake his death, only to return to the public eye seven years later.

So now the love-struck pair have decided to settle down in Canada, where they can invite Trudeau to their moose reservation and hang out with Justin Bieber. And, it’s a move that makes me think Meghan wasn’t just in it for herself. I honestly think she found the man she loved and whisked him away, not seeming to want any part in the royal charade.

Meghan was a lifeline for the royals, a family many Brits only claim to support for as long as the tourist revenue they bring in exceeds the public funds used to support them. Now, with the loss of Meghan and the public ex-communication of Prince Andrew, it’s going to be a struggle for them to stay relevant in years to come. They’re a vital force in British culture, but without another Meghan to shake things up, I fear their days may be numbered.