Why Meghan Markle is Part of a Larger Revolution in the British Royal Family
- Govhar D
- Mar 15, 2018
- 3 min read
Meghan Markle has grasped the public’s attention and curiosity for months now since her relationship with Prince Harry was officially announced. Markle has been frequently called out for her ethnicity, facing verbal abuse from both critics and writers for being biracial and of her background. Critics commented on her neighbourhood in Los Angeles being filled with drug addicts and alcoholics, implying that they believed she was not fit to be a royal. In contrast, most of the British public and even people on a wider international scale have rejoiced at this sense of change in the deep rooted and traditional values of the Windsors. They believe that Markle will help drive change, especially considering how vocal she has been in her past endeavours relating to feminism and equal rights. Markle’s calm and collected characteristics highlight to her intelligence, making her feel like an more authentic princess, so to speak, as opposed to the perfect, porcelain- faced ones we are so used to seeing. Contrary to popular belief, the royal family have become adept at moving with modern notions and making themselves as important as ever before. We have recently seen this with the joining of Markle, and even before in what is now nicknamed as the “Swinging Sixties”. The 1960s was a time of freedom, fun and love. It saw the rise of rock and roll bands like The Beatles, and even brought higher levels of recreational drug use, leading to several drug clinics being opened across the country. It also saw the rise of protesters against the monarchy, standing in marches all across the country and speaking out on their personal beliefs. Those beliefs at the time were that England no longer needed a monarchy, especially as they had now walked into a new and different world from the one before the war.
This was especially shocking because the change of the decade had begun just over a month after the royal family had changed their name to Mountbatten-Windsor, a name which Prince Philip had wanted his children to carry. The decade had brought with it the hippie culture that we still reminisce of today, with bright colours and bold statements. It had taken over people’s opinions and feelings towards the Queen and her family. In November 1966, the BBC did a survey, asking people door to door what they thought of the monarchy. Nearly all of the people asked believed that they should not abolish the monarchy, however 64% thought that the monarchy should adapt with the modern world. Only one in four people thought that the monarchy should have stayed as it was. It was then, several years later on 21st June 1969, that the Windsor’s revealed a broadcasted documentary following their day to day lives and time spent as a close-knit family. The idea had been one presented to Prince Philip, who agreed to the idea, eager to portray the royals as more relatable to the public. It allowed the Windsors to break down their tough royal exterior that had been built up for centuries long and be more human. It opened the family up to the public, showing them that the royals were just like all of us. The documentary did well in its efforts to connect Britain to the royals and left the public feeling appreciation for such a kind-hearted monarchy. It seems that for years now, the monarchy has faced obstacles and overcome them. This only shows us what sheer determination and importance they have both in traditional society and the modern day. I think the monarchy will always remain relevant and am excited to see what changes will take place during this new period in history.