| Watching a super rich, entitled couple moan about their exceptionally privileged lives is uncomfortable viewing at any time - let alone in the midst of one of the worst cost of living crises in memory. But Harry and Meghan are taking back control of their own narrative and their story is not meant to be comfortable. I take issue with the timing of the six-hour Netflix docuseries, not just because it comes against the backdrop of millions of people suffering extreme hardship coming into Christmas but because it's just weeks since the Queen died. I also feel uneasy about the enormous sums of money that they've been paid to reveal their truth and what appear to be numerous inconsistencies in their story. And though I squirm at the couple's propensity to ride roughshod over the feelings of their own families, I wholeheartedly support Meghan's right to speak up against the inequality and injustice she's experienced as a Royal. From the start of their relationship, the public narrative has been one of Meghan 'not being good enough' for Harry. And there is no doubt there continue to be racist and sexist undertones - if not overtones - to her treatment and the commentary around their relationship. All women in the public eye are subject to scrutiny but that scrutiny and criticism has been worse for Meghan than almost anyone - and it seems the Royal family colluded with it. As every aspect of her clothes, her make-up, her body language, what she ate, who she spoke to, how she appeared were picked apart by commentators, she was expected to take it - at whatever cost to her mental health and that of her husband. 'Megxit' - as it has been branded - is firmly laid at Meghan's doorstep. She is the 'evil princess' stealing our prince from the Royal family and taking him away to foreign lands. And the UK has seemingly never forgiven her. Before and since leaving for the US, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have used their platform to make a difference. Their charitable foundation has supported the people of Ukraine, marginalised young people, healthcare and vaccines in deprived communities, homeless people, refugees fleeing Afghanistan, black women, sports organisations, veterans and more. But it's barely ever reported. Far from achieving the privacy they claimed to crave, Harry and Meghan have now turned their lives into a soap opera. It's a soap opera that is likely to entrench opinion further against them from those who always wanted to see them fail because they didn't fit the mould. But it's their story to tell and it should prompt much-needed conversations about racism, sexism and mental health. These are issues that the Royal family and the wider establishment have had a chance to address before but instead of addressing them, they closed ranks and turned on Meghan. While Harry and Meghan's uncomfortable truths may not win them many supporters in the short term, maybe, just maybe, in time they will bring about a desperately-needed change in the establishment that drove them away.
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