Since the shock announcement from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, people in the UK have been questioning the response to it all in the United States (the Duchess’s home country) and what the American perspective on the entire situation is.
As an American, I thought I’d share what I’ve noticed here in the States with news coverage, social media, and talking to people.
First of all, the story is not the main story here. It made headlines, yes, but news has naturally focused more on the ongoing situation with Iran and President Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate. If you go to American news websites, you have to scroll a bit before you see news relating to the Duke and Duchess’s announcement that they want to step back from royal life.
The news stories here that do cover Harry and Meghan are more focused on their announcement, the Royal Family’s response, and questions on how they will make money and their next chapter. Some have covered how the UK media has reacted, but overall more gossip stories that have run in UK papers and tabloids are not getting the same amount of coverage here (the US has more pressing issues to worry about at the moment).
Of course, late-night comedians have jumped on the story and use it as material with Trevor Noah joking Prince Harry could join “the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
Americans are more in support of Harry and Meghan and are more apt to defend them. Meghan is one of our own, and many feel she has not been treated well in the UK. There have been several news pieces blaming it on racism, and social media has been flooded with American supporters defending them and vowing to welcome them as US residents. On the other hand, it’s only fair to point out there are Americans on social media who are arguing the exact opposite; they don’t want them to come to the US and say their decision is horrible and offensive to The Queen and Royal Family.
Naturally, jokes float around, too, that no American will be allowed to marry into the family ever again after Wallis Simpson and Meghan, with people joking Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte will be banned from attending any university in the US by their family.
Overall, Americans, as a whole, don’t really seem bothered or care. We don’t have a royal family, and there’s no worry about how they are being funded impacting our taxes. We don’t have the same stake in this as the UK or other members of the Commonwealth like Canada.
