What is your opinion on Meghan and Harry being told to follow the Queen's vow on silence?
Meghan and Prince Harry have been told to follow the Queen's vow on silence, because the more they try to do things differently, the more they "sink", a royal expert has argued.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been extremely outspoken recently, including their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, and the numerous claims and revelations it contained. Harry did not stop there, however, and has continued beating that drum in the Armchair Expert podcast and in his Apple TV+ mental health series - also with Oprah. They have continually criticised the Royal Family, both as an institution and the individuals within it, and there seems no sign of it halting any time soon.
They have made comments about Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and even alluded to the Queen and Prince Philip’s parenting.
However, their speaking out did not start when they left the Royal Family.
Just months into his relationship with Meghan, Prince Harry released a statement accusing the media of harassing and bullying his then-girlfriend.
According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, it “packed a punch”, with accusations of racist and sexist treatment of Meghan.
Several years later, he released another statement, using some explosive language and comparing the treatment of Meghan to that of his mother Princess Diana.
In the recent Channel 5 documentary ‘Meghan & Harry: 3 Troubled Years’, a royal expert has argued that the Sussexes would have fared better if they had followed the Queen’s example in not responding to criticism.
Tom Quinn, author of ‘Kensington Palace: From Queen Mary to Meghan Markle’, insisted the pair were making it worse for themselves.
He said: “They’re like a drowning couple ‒ the more they struggle to escape the things they don’t like, the more they sink.”
He added: “You cannot control the media.
“The Queen has managed to reach a position where she is very rarely criticised, because when she in the past has occasionally been criticised, she says nothing.
“It would be much better if Meghan and Harry simply said nothing.”
Meanwhile, Daily Mail editor-at-large Richard Kay added that the Palace viewed Harry’s initial statement as “necessarily antagonistic”, as if he was “spoiling for a fight”.
He argued that Harry went about his plea for the media to back off in an “aggressive, confrontational way” that may have made things worse.
The Queen Mother’s mantra, which she passed down to the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family, was “never complain, never explain”.
This meant never responding to criticism, even when it is hurtful or untrue.
The argument was that if you respond to claims, that will only add fuel to the fire and mean you will be expected to comment on everything in the future.
However, Meghan clearly felt like she had been failed by the Palace in not responding to claims made about her.
She told Oprah that the media embarked on a “character assassination” of her that the Palace allowed to happen.
Now the couple have extricated themselves from royal life and started a new chapter, they are free to say whatever they please.
However, it has been argued that the more they attack the media, the more it will respond.
The Queen giving criticism a dignified silence has allowed her to rise above it and maintain her popularity over nearly 70 years.
By contrast, Meghan and Harry’s popularity has dipped considerably, both in the UK and the US.
They have even been accused of speaking about themselves too much without acknowledging their privilege, especially at a time when so many have bees struggling with coronavirus, whether it be due to health reasons or having their livelihoods disrupted.
Piers Morgan, one of Meghan and Harry’s biggest critics, said: “[Meghan] is just one of many whiny, privilege, hypocritical celebrities who now cynically exploit victimhood to suppress free speech, value their own version of the truth above the actual truth, and seek to cancel anytone that deviates from their woke world view or dares to challenge the veracity of their inflammatory of statements.”
Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers said: “Where would the sympathy be for a 36-year-old man who is complaining about being cut off financially, who is worth the best part of £30million?"
