Our summer guest essay series continues this week, and I\u2019m handing the reins to <\/span>Samantha Lord<\/a>, owner and writer of <\/span>The Royal Tea Report<\/a><\/em>. I recommended her Substack in this space last month by remarking, \u201cWe love when the media sphere is considered a player, not just a passive observer, in royal history.\u201d Samantha seems to have built her platform on that premise, applying a methodical, well-reasoned lens to the royal family and to the coverage surrounding them.<\/span><\/p>\n This week, she\u2019s turned that lens on a thought experiment: <\/span>what might the last decade of Meghan Markle coverage look like if her and Prince Harry\u2019s genders were reversed?<\/strong> In other words, do the hypercritical commentaries of the Duchess of Sussex\u2019s work, platforms, and projects actually hold up\u2026 or is something else at play here?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a> Take it away, Samantha.<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m Samantha Lord, the owner and writer of <\/span>The Royal Tea Report<\/span><\/a>. I live in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. (Yes, it\u2019s really called Windsor.) I\u2019m Canadian but come from a British family.<\/span><\/p>\n I used to idealize the UK (mainly as an escape from what I was going through at the time). One good thing that has come out of that, however, is that I\u2019m exceptionally knowledgeable about British culture. I\u2019ve had a unique and quite difficult life, but I think its experiences and the knowledge I\u2019ve gained from them allow me to see through and behind appearances and veneers. I also have a sharp and often satirical eye.<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s why I created <\/span><\/strong>The Royal Tea Report<\/span><\/strong><\/em>.<\/span><\/strong> It\u2019s an insightful and well-researched newsletter presenting my clear-eyed (and sometimes wry) commentary on the British royal family (and astute media critique).<\/span><\/p>\n Subscribe now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n I hope you\u2019ll subscribe and become part of <\/span>The Royal Tea Report<\/span><\/em> community.<\/span><\/p>\n If Harry had been a woman and Meghan a man, the stories being told in the media right now would be entirely different.<\/p>\n <\/a> Let\u2019s imagine ourselves back in 2016. One of Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s grandchildren has met the person they will eventually marry.<\/span><\/p>\n But in this alternate universe, this grandchild isn\u2019t Harry. Instead, QE2 has a granddaughter called Princess Henrietta.<\/span><\/p>\n This princess has met an American actor called Matthew Markle. He has all the same characteristics as Meghan, except (of course) he is a man.<\/span><\/p>\n What do you think the response would be?<\/span><\/strong> Yes, I imagine there still would have been gossip and vitriol, at least initially, but I just cannot imagine it would have been anywhere close to as vicious as what has been directed towards Meghan.<\/span><\/p>\n Leave a comment<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Certainly, there wouldn\u2019t have been all the misogynistic stereotypes and dogwhistles we constantly hear from the vast and disturbing Meghan Markle Hatred Industrial Complex.<\/span><\/p>\n And let\u2019s fast-forward to Princess Henrietta and Matthew\u2019s wedding, and to life after the marriage. <\/span>If Matthew had behaved exactly the same way to Henrietta as Meghan behaved towards Harry, would there have been the accusations that have been directed towards Meghan?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t think so. Let\u2019s consider the case of Edo and Beatrice.<\/span><\/p>\n In my opinion, Edo has a very questionable background. Reportedly, he <\/span>was still in a relationship<\/span><\/a> with the mother of his child, Wolfie, when he decided to get together with Beatrice.<\/span><\/p>\n Since Beatrice married Edo, she has changed quite significantly in her appearance. She has lost a lot of weight, and she has changed her style of dressing.<\/span><\/p>\n Subscribe to the Royal Tea Report<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Can you imagine if Harry had lost a lot of weight and changed his style of dressing after marrying Meghan? <\/span>Can you imagine what the accusations would be?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n But instead of criticism of Edo, we\u2019ve heard very little but praise of how much Beatrice\u2019s appearance has supposedly improved. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve read or heard anyone ask whether Edo could have pressured Beatrice into losing too much weight or is controlling what she wears.<\/span><\/p>\n And apparently, the earnings and reach of Edo\u2019s business, Banda, <\/span>have skyrocketed<\/a> since his marriage to Beatrice. His royal marriage has given him priceless publicity, such as <\/span>this feature<\/a> in <\/span>Vanity Fair<\/em> from 2020, the same year as his wedding (that didn\u2019t take long).<\/span><\/p>\n Can you imagine if Edo had been a woman and married a prince, and this had happened?<\/span><\/strong> Let\u2019s take a look at one of the many headlines accusing Meghan of exploiting her royal status.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!UCe4!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F262ac75a-c917-4bb4-a4cb-4a847ada6751_1750x1080.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!xJCT!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6c8caaa-9ed6-475d-9ba5-517d9c8817f4_1400x1080.png)
<\/picture><\/div>\n