'Megxit': the new drama facing the British crown
The British witnessed this week one of the most dramatic moments in the recent life of the monarchy that has ruled the United Kingdom for more than ten centuries. Prince Harry, known as the ‘rebellious child of the crown’, and his wife, Meghan, the Dukes of Sussex, announced their plan to break free from the monarchical yoke and set up a separate store.
This gesture of the couple seems to mark a break with the traditional way of handling the British royalty, accustomed to very strict rules of behavior, where only the sovereign, Elizabeth II, 93, decides the fate of her family, made up of four children and eight grandchildren.
For some analysts, Henry, the sixth in the line of succession to the crown, embodies the wishes of many Britons for a change with the traditional court submission, and a step towards the modernization of a constitutional monarchy, in the that the queen has a role limited to tasks of diplomatic representation and honors, leaving political decisions to the figure of the prime minister.
The tumble broke out last Wednesday, shortly after the couple returned to London, after spending the Christmas and New Year holidays in Canada together with their little son, Archie, 8 months old, and in the company of the family of Meghan.
The statement outlines what their plan would be to distance themselves from British royalty and to work towards being financially independent. There they state their intention to divide their time between the United Kingdom and North America, and assure: "(We will continue) honoring our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth and our patronages." To top it all, a website (www.sussexroyal.com) is even advertised in which he would focus his work and in which the phrase 'The objective is to focus on what connects us, instead of what divides us' is read. .
As expected, the untimely public declaration of the dukes provoked the fury of Queen Elizabeth II and the indignation of princes Carlos (Henry's father), the first in line of succession to the crown, and Guillermo, Henry's brother, who were inseparable until less than a year ago. Anger was unleashed because the dukes disobeyed the strict order of Elizabeth II, who had been informed ten minutes before they made their intentions public through social networks.
The 'Brexit' of the Dukes
Some analysts have ventured to call this episode as the 'Megxit' (in allusion to Meghan), an analogy, half jokingly, half seriously, with 'Brexit', as the imminent exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union is known , whose date is set for next January 31.
As in the case of ‘Brexit’ against the EU, the Dukes of Sussex also aspire to be able to make their own financial decisions and do things in their own way and not depend on the approval of the Queen.
After the initial storm passed, spokespersons for Queen Elizabeth II have said that there is a desire for the situation to be resolved as quickly as possible and the talks will take place "at a pace" and will involve the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The process would also involve the governments of Canada and the United States, especially with regard to services for the protection of the physical integrity of the royal family.
"The resemblance between 'Brexit' and 'Megxit' is incredible," Jonny Dymond, a veteran commentator on the life of British royalty, told EL TIEMPO.
In his opinion, the couple's discomfort with both the crown and the press had been evident for some time, but "the way they left is impressive," due to the couple's media strategy, which is "certainly unconventional. , but it explains in some way why there are many more questions than answers ”.
But how did they get here? To begin with, many attribute this coup by the dukes to Meghan, a 38-year-old former American actress who was previously married to producer and director Trevor Engelson, and who has suffered harsh scrutiny from the British tabloid press almost from the moment she broke. knew the relationship with Enrique.
But royal historian and biographer Katy Williams believes that Prince Henry should be singled out in this matter because throughout his life he has had great resentment both with the ways of the monarchy and with the British press.
Commentators on the life of royalty agree that the long shadow of the tragic and untimely death of his mother, Princess Diana, when she was just a child, in the middle of a car accident after fleeing from the 'paparazzi', has always weighed. . Added to that is her resentment at the excessive media attention for her youthful antics and the extraordinary interest in her relationships and later her marriage.
Unlike his older brother, Prince William, the Duke has never gotten used to the media and is still visibly nervous in front of cameras and questions. Furthermore, Enrique has been seen as bored with the ceremonial side of work as a representative of the monarchy.
“Enrique has always wanted to disassociate himself from the crown. And together with the woman he loves, he now thinks he has found his way. Although their reasons are purely personal, with this decision, Meghan and Enrique are modernizing the British royal family, setting a precedent in which important or senior members generate their own income and choose to become independent when they wish, ”commented Juan Bejarano, analyst and London correspondent journalist for Radio France International.
"That independence must be total and not wait for taxpayers to continue financing part of their expenses, while they travel the world obtaining high income in conferences, advertising campaigns or other businesses that they will be able to carry out thanks to being members of the royal family. most famous in the world, ”added Bejarano.
If there is one thing analysts agree on, it is that people understand that they want to move things forward, and the desire to help them achieve this right persists, but 1,000 years of British royal history does not rest on its head one day. for other.
"Enrique has always wanted to disassociate himself from the crown. And together with the woman he loves, now he thinks he has found the way"
Background
The couple, who met through a blind date arranged by mutual friends, got engaged in November 2017. The wedding took place in May 2018 at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and in May 2019 he was born. the couple's son: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, the eighth in line to the throne.
The 'Megxit' drama comes a couple of months after Prince Andrew, Henry's uncle, walked away from his public duties with the crown because of his scandalous relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes, and allegations of sexual abuse against him.
On the other hand, the comparisons of the followers of the royal family and the media between Henry and his wife with the case of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, who involved the crown in what may be the biggest scandal, are inevitable. of its history, when the king resigned his functions to save their relationship.
