One of the many ways in which Tina Brown’s The Palace Papers contradicts its own narrative from page to page is Brown’s insistence that Meghan is fame-hungry and desperate for the spotlight. Brown continues that theme, even when her palace sources are workshopping other (false) narratives, like “Meghan didn’t even like royal life” and “Meghan hated touring.” Having read many of the Meghan chapters, I understand that the point Brown is actually trying to make is more nuanced: Meghan craved the spotlight, but didn’t understand “the hierarchy” of the Royal Family nor did she understand the purpose of the monarchy. I think that last part is fair enough – it would be difficult for most people (especially Americans) to understand the purpose of monarchy. And to hear Brown describe it, the purpose of monarchy is to enforce a (white-only) hierarchy, end of. All of this to say, Brown’s palace sources insisted that Meghan loathed the South Pacific Tour:
Despite the warm reception and a lively itinerary, Brown claims Meghan actually loathed the trip.
‘So, Meghan must have been thrilled with it all … right? No. She apparently hated every second of it,’ she wrote. ‘She didn’t understand why things were set up in that way. Instead of being excited when thousands of people showed up at the Opera House, it was very much like, ‘What’s the purpose? I don’t understand this’,’ a Palace employee told Brown.
The staffer said Meghan didn’t appear to grasp the ‘representational role’ of the British monarchy when they toured, adding she was more interested in ’causes she wanted to spotlight’.
Brown’s claims are supported in an article printed in The Times last year, which asserts that Meghan found it ‘silly’ when people crowded to see the Sussexes when they arrived in Sydney.
‘What are they all doing here? It’s silly,’ she reportedly said to her team. A source said that she simply ‘didn’t get it’.
[From The Daily Mail]
You know what I think this is? The 2018 tour was organized by Kensington Palace, when the Sussexes were still sharing an office with the Cambridges. I think the staff organized the tour like they would have for William and Kate, meaning pretty light and superficial. Even though Meghan and Harry got a rock star reception during that tour, I wonder if Meghan was like “we should be doing events with more substance.” That’s honestly my theory – Meghan pointed out to staffers that some of the events were basically photocalls and little parades, and their events should have a point. Thus, returning to Brown’s argument that Meghan “didn’t understand the purpose of monarchy,” at least in the eyes of the KP dipsh-ts. The model for royal tours IS light and superficial. That’s why the Cambridges and Wessexes flopped so hard on their recent tours.
Anyway, I think Meghan loved that tour. What she hated was how hard she was smeared once she got back to England.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red, Instar.
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