Nobody prepares you for this when you tie the knot. There are no wise elders who tap you on the shoulder or fathers pulling you aside to reveal the unspoken truth: “Once you’re married, you’ll inexplicably empathize with outlandish celebrity couples.” To borrow a Meghan phrase, it’s incredibly “draining.” But that’s how it is.
The more people oppose them, the more US think tanks invade their Californian haven with nonsensical claims like, “We want him back with you or somewhere,” the more I find myself rooting for Team Sussex.
Let’s delve into the latest news on Harry and Meghan. Just a month ago, a video emerged of Meghan allegedly avoiding a kiss from Harry on the NBA’s “kiss cam” during a basketball game. GB News host Dan Wooton claimed they “failed to acknowledge their fifth wedding anniversary.” Royal commentator Angela Levin, on the same program, alleged that “she is absolutely separating from him.”
Last week, the Daily Mail shrieked, “Where is Meghan’s wedding ring?” when the Sussexes attended the Foundation Women of Vision gala in New York (before the “near-catastrophic” car chase incident). The Sun reported that Prince Harry allegedly has a reserved room in a glitzy, secretive hotel near his Montecito mansion, dubbed an “escape place” from his wife and children. A representative denied the rumor, but the gossip mill keeps churning.
Every detail is scrutinized and dissected. Only those inside the Montecito mansion can provide the complete picture. But it must be an immense pressure to be under constant siege. Now we hear that the Duchess of Sussex missed another ceremony in Los Angeles where she was to receive an award for her podcast. So what? Maybe she was unwell.
What if Harry and Meghan broke up? Why should we care? Would it miraculously lower food prices or cool down the fevered hot takes on the planet to solve global warming? Probably not. Yet, the Sussexes serve as a public example, a reference point for other couples. That’s why rumors of their downfall being exaggerated captivate my interest.
You might argue that the Sussexes have commodified their relationship, turning it into a brand. They’re making heaps of money and shamelessly promoting their “happily ever after” in every possible way. If they genuinely craved privacy, they should simply retreat and leave us be.
Can you imagine, shortly after committing to spend your life with someone, being unable to browse the internet without stumbling upon individuals hoping for your marriage to collapse? We all Google ourselves; it’s the Internet age. Older generations fail to grasp how the overwhelming influence of the online world seeps into the lives of millennials. We’re more likely to believe in astrology than self-determination. Even the stars foresee their destinies resting in the hands of others.
Yes, the Sussexes can be exasperating. They truly can. My brothers and I exchange snippets from Harry’s less-mentioned memoir, “Spare,” to remind ourselves what an insufferable character he can be. They wouldn’t be on my fantasy dinner guest list.
Yet, I can’t help but ponder the incessant and unbearable weight pressing down on that small family, infiltrating every crack in their foundation. Money can’t buy a moment of peace. Marriage is the happiest time of my life—a blend