Harry and Meghan: Will they be happy in Britain?

The return of Prince Harry and his wife Merkel to Britain after six years in the United States has become the talk of the town. The interest has become sharper by King Charles III, declaring in an official letter that Harry and Meghan will have the status of private citizens, and they will not be given the status of members of the royal family.

This appears to be rather a tough stance, and even a harsh one. But Charles has played by the rulebook, When Harry and Meghan wanted to step down from their royal duties because they found the media attention too intrusive, and decided to move to the US, Queen Elizabeth had said that the young prince and his wife would have the status of private citizens. Charles had reinforced the stance of his mother.

Apparently, Harry and Meghan had felt hurt. Perhaps they had expected a warm welcome home. But neither Harry nor Meghan should be surprised because they had almost burnt bridges with his father and his older brother, William, Prince of Wales, through their indiscreet interview with celebrated American TV host Oprah Winfrey, in which the royal family was shown to be heartless and discriminatory.

It is not clear as to why Harry and Meghan had decided to move back to ‘Little England’ after choosing America for home. It may be the case that they wanted their children to be educated in England, grow up in caring surroundings, which would not have been possible in America.

But the couple have not stated their reason for returning home. But they may find the atmosphere in Britain not too friendly, especially so for Meghan. Of course, the couple can win the hearts of the people on how they carry themselves in public and in private.

Appearances are of the essence as far as the royal family members are concerned. And to the surprise of people across the world, the British fascination for members of the royal family is amusing. Katherine, or Kate, the Princess of Wales, is closely watched and admired on what she wears, and how she has borne her cancer. Kate has won over the people, though there was Internet rage when she photo-shopped a picture of William, herself and the children. So, it is not just the media that keeps a watch over the royals, but it is also the people, and the Internet, the social media platforms make it for people to keep watch over the royals.

So, William and Harry living in Britain is a test of their patience. Harry has been fighting a battle with the tabloids over violation of privacy. But he and Meghan will have to be less hostile to the media because the media is sure to follow them.

It is not surprising because there is an intense interest about members of the British royal family among the people, and the media knows this. Newspapers have reporters writing exclusively on the royal family. This has been so for more than a century, and goes back to Edward VII who abdicated the throne to marry American divorcee Helen Simpson.

Then there came the unsuccessful romance of Prince Margaret, younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II in the 1950s, when permission was refused to marriage because Margaret’s love interest was a divorcee. In the 1990s, the people of Britain and the media watched with huge interest the television interviews that King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, and Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, heading for a breakup after their separate television interviews about the state of their marriage.

Right now, the media interest is centred around Harry and his American wife Meghan. Meghan was an American television actress and a divorcee.