This incident brings to mind a previous situation when Meghan and Prince Harry embarked on a PR campaign during the height of the pandemic. They brought a photo crew to a U.S. military cemetery on Remembrance Day, seemingly in response to being denied the opportunity to lay a public wreath at an official Royal event in the UK.
During their recent tribute to the victims of the September 11th, 2001 attacks, Meghan and Harry took the unusual step of listing all 2,977 names of the people who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on United Flight 93. They displayed these names on the homepage of the Archewell foundation's website, titling the page "In Memoriam" to mark the 20th anniversary of this tragic event.
For those of us who can recall the sheer horror of that fateful day, with planes striking the towers, the fires, and the heartbreaking sight of individuals jumping to their deaths, it remains a deeply emotional memory. The towers' sudden collapse and the heroic efforts of those trying to save lives in the midst of chaos still bring a lump to our throats when we reflect on them.
However, Meghan chose not to offer a private prayer but instead sought to insert herself into this tragedy. She copied and pasted the victims' names from the internet onto her commercial website, using them to promote herself as a pious figure. This exploitation of the victims' names, typically reserved for respectful use in museums and monuments, was a deeply questionable act.
Governments usually have the honor of representing the nations and, by extension, all of us when displaying these names. Meghan's actions showed a lack of understanding and respect for this tradition, driven by her desire to boost publicity for Archewell and her personal brand.
What made matters worse was her demeanor at the September 11th Memorial with Prince Harry. While many remembered the solemnity of the occasion, Meghan was seen happily waving to the cameras and grinning broadly, even as someone photographed her. She seemed to put on a show when looking at the wreath, attempting to mimic Princess Diana's mournful expression. Earlier, she had attempted to insert herself into a Harlem school event and posed as a British royal family member when meeting with the New York City governor and mayor.
Witnesses confirmed that these were PR stunts, and the next day, Meghan attended a charity event for wounded soldiers but managed to make it primarily about herself. There was little acknowledgment of the sacrifices made by the soldiers, and she even marched in a parade. While visiting a cemetery to pay respects is commendable, their constant need to document these actions with photographers and film crews raises questions about the authenticity of their motives.
One can't help but wonder why everything they do is presented to the press through their publicity team. Having parted ways with the Royal Family, Meghan and Harry now represent only themselves, and they should refrain from pretending to be government representatives.
Remembrance days, observed by Commonwealth countries to honor those who died in battle, should not be exploited as PR opportunities. Piers Morgan's criticism of their actions as outrageous and headline-grabbing is not unwarranted, especially when it detracts from the solemnity of the occasion and overshadows the duties of the true Royals back in the UK.
