Fairy tales aren’t just reserved for books anymore. In the past decade, we have witnessed William, the Prince of Wales, marrying his college sweetheart, Catherine Middleton, in 2011. Following suit, in his own pursuit of happiness, his younger brother, Prince Harry, married American actress Meghan Markle, popularly known for her role in the riveting law series “Suits”, at England’s Windsor Castle William in May 2018. The Prince of Wales was the best man.
If you follow pop culture, you are probably aware of the cracks in the royal monarchy by now.
“But now the two brothers, who once stated they were ‘uniquely bonded because of everything we’ve been through’ after the passing of their mother, Princess Diana, in 1997, look to be at a breaking point. There are reports of a physical attack and sibling rivalry, in Harry’s new memoir, ”Spare“, reported the Washington Post.
The story of Harry and Meghan, is one many describe as destabilising the status quo and ushering in a new dawn. However, not all that glitters is gold.
Moments before the ceremony, the two brothers were seen walking side by side through the castle grounds, joking and waving at members of the public, as reported by the Washington Post.
How did two of Britain’s royals, who once seemed close, end up at war with each other?
In the Netflix documentary “Harry & Meghan”, the couple narrate their side of the story to the public. In episode one, Meghan, shares: “When you feel like people haven’t gotten a sense of who you are, for so long it’s nice to let people have a glimpse of who you are.”
The UK media, even though biased in their reporting of the pair, have highlighted that it’s easy to critique something out of the ordinary, especially something that destabilises the status quo of the English people.
It’s somewhat normal to expect your loved ones to support you in times of adversity, so it seems odd that the one person who should be there for you is right in the middle of it all. Blood of my blood and all.
The enstranged Duke of Sussex admits that he suffers from agoraphobia, which seems to be exacerbated by the constant onslaught of media attention. Agoraphobia is an extreme fear “of being in situations where escape might be difficult or that help wouldn’t be available”, according to Britain’s NHS.
Nisanda Nomaqhiza, a clinical psychologist at Hlabisa Hospital in KwaZulu Natal, says that in extreme cases, some people might decide not to leave their homes or visit public places. Panic attacks could also be triggered by this intense fear.
His psychological problems, in my opinion, are a result of the fact that he never properly dealt with the loss of his mother and he bottled up his grief.
Additionally, having had your life mapped out from the day you were born only to find yourself looking in from the outside cannot be easy.
With the help of the internet, the entire world can interact in real-time. Anyone with a smartphone can post breaking news, and social movements can spread quickly. Although the general public feels entitled to being privy to the lives of individuals in the spotlight, it’s unfair to assume that they are immune to the attention, says Nomaqhiza.
“In a world where your every move, action and words are scrutinised by the public, even the most confident celebrity can feel overwhelmed.”
Most medical practitioners concur that stress has a significant impact on mortality rates in today’s society. We are aware that stress can harm one’s physical and mental health and contribute to heart disease, insomnia and depression, among others, if not properly managed.
Their continuing harassment, as revealed in the documentary, resulted in a Meghan having a miscarriage, says Harry.
Most of us have encountered bullying and harassment in one form or another. Whether it’s a nasty comment posted on a picture, gossip spread via status updates, or seeing criticism of famous people’s posts on social media, and whether it be direct or indirect, trolling is undoubtedly a serious issue in today’s culture, where it has become accepted as a necessary part of who we are.
According to a recent YMCA England and Wales poll, bullying has always been a problem but with the rise of social media and technology, bullying has taken a new dimension for this generation. It has become easy to be a bully when you’re hiding behind a computer screen and, at times, a false identity.
We take all the hatred personally because of the innate negative bias that is a part of our survival mechanism. We tend to highlight negative news. This does not indicate insecurity or pessimism. Rather, via evolution, our brains have become sensitive to possible dangers and that our immediate survival depends on an attack much more than it does a compliment.
Anything that makes us either scared or angry triggers an immediate reaction that grabs our attention, says Pamela Rutledge, a director of the Media Psychology Research Center and professor in Fielding Graduate University’s media psychology programme.
