Meghan Markle e Kate Middleton: royal mamme a confronto
One goes against the grain, the other is more predictable. Who is happier?
FINALLY, AFTER A LONG WAIT, Archie Harrison has a face. It took four months but in the end, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made up their minds to show the world their firstborn. A child of whom, until now, little was known: his parents are particularly concerned with privacy.
Thus, on the third day of the Royal Tour in Africa, the Dukes of Sussex did not leave the baby with the nanny. They took it with them. And not just any event but a meeting with Desmond Tutu, a South African archbishop, very famous in the 1980s for the fight against apartheid. In short, a very respectable debut in society.
Archie's corporate debut
With that touch of originality that characterizes them - through a story on Instagram - Harry and Meghan surprised everyone. They let themselves be filmed while, on foot, they went to Tutu and his daughter, and accompanied the video with the words, superimposed, "Arch meet Archie". A funny and unexpected word game. The expectations were not disappointed: Archie, in public, showed himself happy, smiling, lively. And, above all, very active, so much so that Meghan was very busy, during the conversation with the archbishop, to distract him.
Meghan Markle in mom version
But, as a popular saying goes, when a child is born a mother is also born. And yesterday was also an opportunity to see Meghan in a different role, that of a mother. Few, very few, the opportunities to observe her, so far, in this role. They can be counted on the fingertips: at the meeting with journalists when Archie was born, at a polo match and at the baby's baptism, albeit only through some photos.
Yesterday the Duchess of Sussex seemed very comfortable, in the face of those who criticized her for holding Archie a few months ago. Not only that: she also appeared very happy. On the other hand, Meghan always seems happier when she is away from the palace. When she can make her voice heard, defend the weakest, support the causes of women. She demonstrated this by dedicating the September issue of Vogue Uk - which she co-directs - to women as symbols of change. And he confirmed this in his speech on the first day of the Royal Tour in Africa, noting that he is there not only as a member of the Royal Family but also as a mother, wife, woman and woman of color.
Defense of the weak? A mission
Meghan, compared to Kate, is an atypical mother. Particularly obsessed with privacy - she did not want to say anything about childbirth or show photographs of the baby, except for baptism - she cares, at the same time, that the child is a citizen of the world. From an early age. Bringing him to the meeting with Desmond Tutu - it is clear that the little one will not remember anything, when he grows up, but it doesn't matter - the Duchess wanted to send a very specific message: her son will be educated with the same values with which she grew up. With the same desire to change the world. To fight against injustices. To defend the weakest. Especially the women. On the other hand, she was little more than a child when she wrote to Hillary Clinton to denounce a sexist advertisement for detergents (Procter & Gamble, for this, changed the commercial). And no one would be surprised if Archie did the same in a few years.
Kate Middleton, a more conformist mom
Meghan, therefore, is a counter-current mother. Maybe not perfect but full of values. With the will not to adapt to the system, but to have his say. Although this will bring a lot of criticism. Kate, on the other hand, no. It is just the opposite. The ideal wife and mother: quiet, polite, predictable. Holder of power - much more than you think - but at the same time smart not to show it. In short, the Duchess of Cambridge does not shine for originality. But this, perhaps, is not required by her role: who would ever want a totally unpredictable queen? Moreover, she has been called to a very difficult role: to raise a child knowing that one day he will become king and the other two knowing that they will never become one.
Meghan and Kate, in short, compensate. As wives, as mothers, as women. And perhaps this is the secret that allows the British monarchy to last over time. That mix of conservatism and revolution that pleases everyone a little. Even if the curiosity remains: which of the two is really the happiest?
