Eight reasons why Duchess Meghan is a good role model
While the British are still annoyed about the "Megxit", the Duchess is celebrating her 39th birthday and her new life in the USA. Why Prince Harry's wife Meghan is an inspiration.
The story of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan began like the modern version of the Cinderella fairy tale. A commoner marries a coveted dream prince. Only at the well-known point with "They live happily ever after" did the royal couple take an unexpected path. At the much discussed “Megxit” they resigned as “Senior Royals” and gave up their representative duties. The two gave a reason for this decision in a TV documentary - the Duchess felt uncomfortable and lonely in her new role.
A new (unauthorized) biography should reveal whether the Duchess herself forced the exit from the family or her husband Harry. One thing is for sure: since the decision to resign, the couple's reputation in Great Britain has steadily deteriorated. In terms of popularity, Prince Harry has fallen to the penultimate place of the British royals according to a recent survey by YouGov, only Prince Andrew is less popular due to his involvement in the Epstein scandal. The British are particularly displeased with Prince Harry's wife. More than half of those surveyed even see Duchess Meghan as a great burden for the British royal family.
But the former actress and today's UN ambassador no longer seems to have to care. She celebrates her 39th birthday on August 4th, self-determined and with ambitious life goals in her home town of Los Angeles. In general, Markle's life is characterized by self-confident decisions, which the British did not always take with appreciation - but they are always an inspiration.
1. Be professionally independent
With the resignation comes the end of the financial support of the British royal family. In addition, the Queen denied them the very valuable Sussex Royal brand and the associated Instagram account. It is eagerly awaited what Duchess Meghan will do professionally with her new life and what role Prince Harry will play in it. Because as a woman living on her husband's money or resting on her own fortune that she earned as a series star? Not with Duchess Meghan. She is said to already be working on joint projects with Disney and, according to reports in the Los Angeles Times, both have signed with the renowned agency The Harry Walker Agency. The agency, which has stars such as Matthew McConaughey and Hillary Clinton among others, is known for placing famous personalities as speakers or moderators.
2. Feminism begins in childhood
In a 2017 speech, Meghan Markle spoke about how she first stood up for women when she was eleven when she wrote a letter to then-first lady Hillary Clinton. In it, she denounced that a Procter & Gamble dishwashing detergent commercial had a sexist slogan. With vehement letters to the company itself and to several news channels, Meghan Markle finally got the company to change the slogan.
3. A bride shouldn't just look pretty
English aristocratic weddings follow conservative rules. The best man gives a speech, as does the host, in this case Prince Charles, and the groom is also allowed to say a few words. The duchess didn't just want to play a silent role on their wedding day and broke protocol by giving an emotional speech at dinner. In particular, she thanked her mother and her in-laws for all their love and support.
4. You don't necessarily have to like the in-laws
After the wedding it became clear that the family peace with the royals was apparently not far off: Christmas 2019 the "Sussexes" no longer spent Christmas with the other members of the royals, instead celebrating in Canada. And Harry admitted to ITV that he and his brother William had drifted apart. Before the “Megxit” was announced, the Queen had removed the engagement photo from her table. But who wants to stand in the picture frame with the grandmother-in-law or necessarily celebrate Christmas with the man's family every year?
5. Don't let character assassination sit on you
In private life, there is often a tendency to sweep insults under the rug instead of holding the blasphemer accountable. Duchess Meghan, on the other hand, is not only suing the British newspapers for misreporting and copyright infringement, but also announced that she no longer wants to work with British media at all in the future.
6. No "mom shaming"
Duchess Catherine, Meghan's sister-in-law, presented herself in public with a figure shortly after the birth of her children as if she had never been pregnant. Duchess Meghan handled it differently. In the official photo with baby Archie in a dress with a belt in the right place, she made a self-confident statement against “mom shaming” and unrealistic body ideals.
7. Charity in everyday life
Even if the couple is no longer bound to charity campaigns by royal duties, they also support non-profit organizations in their new lives. In April they volunteered to distribute meals to those in need during the lockdown and volunteered for the Angel Food Project for two days. In June they visited Homeboy Industries, an aid organization in Los Angeles that aims to help people integrate into society after serving in prison by hiring them in cafes and restaurants. In addition, the couple is said to be working on their own charity organization called Archewell, named after their son.
8. Representing values publicly
One topic that the Duchess was and is confronted with in the media is dealing with her roots, racism and gender inequality. Today she appears as a UN ambassador, addresses the death of George Floyd in public and encourages women to stand up against injustice. Most recently, she addressed young women at the Digital Global Leadership Summit when she quoted the Dalai Lama: "Focus on compassion instead of anger."
