The Tale of Meghan and Harry - 1 minute read
The Tale of Meghan and Harry
The recent Oprah interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry has caused conflict between TV presenters, reporters, social media users and I am sure families alike. People clearly feel quite strongly about understanding their story and what it means for the future of their family.
Full disclosure, I hadn’t planned on watching the interview. I don’t normally follow celebrity or Royal news and thought this was a combination of the two. But when my husband said that Megan and Harry had talked about mental health, something I am interested in, I was intrigued.
Today I sat down and watched it. I started off prepared for another celebrity show, but over the nearly two-hour long interview I just ended up feeling for them.
I know some will be upset to hear things being said about the Royal Family that paints them in a poor light. Some will even find it hard to believe Megan and Harry’s story. Others will be right behind the couple as they make a break away from a traditional path and make a new life for themselves. I have no idea if what they are saying is true, but that what we can all be guaranteed of is that it is being said through the prism of their reality. And is their side of the story.
The Palace has made an official statement saying: “The issues raised will be addressed by the family privately.” We don’t yet know what that will entail and we may not get to hear the other side of the story.
Even so there are important issues raised that we at Shine always try to address. It was horrible to hear that Meghan felt completely unsupported in her situation. When someone is struggling with their mental health it takes a brave soul to bring this to the attention of others. I think Harry hit the nail on the head with his comment about why he didn’t raise it with his family “I was embarrassed”. This highlights a common feeling in the UK today, where we are still reluctant to own that we, or someone close to us, is struggling with their mental health. Shine will continue to challenge the stigma that is associated with poor mental health.
“You have no idea what is going on behind closed doors…even the people that smile the biggest smiles and shine the brightest lights, it seems, to have compassion for what is actually potentially going on.” – Meghan
Megan and Harry also talked about the impact that racism and unconscious bias in the media, society and even the Royal Family had on their decision to leave. For many living with bias that favors others and sidelines or ignores them is a daily occurrence and can naturally damage an individual’s mental health. Hopefully this interview will help create awareness of these kinds of prejudice in the lives of those watching so that it can be dealt with and eradicated.
The main sadness I felt was seeing the public breakdown of relationships in a family.
At Shine we cover quite extensively the positive impact on our mental health healthy relationships can have and give tips on how to keep them that way. We talk about the power of communication, using this picture illusions as examples of two pictures in one and that there are often two sides to each story. Highlighting the way to keep our family relationships healthy is by communicating and empathizing.
So take a minute now not to judge the Windsor family but to remind yourself to be kind, thoughtful and respectful to those in your life that you see as family, to listen and make sure you are heard because so much sadness and sorrow can be avoided with a little empathy and compassion.