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The Duchess of Woke
Townhall.com ^ | March 15, 2021 | Jason Garshfield

Posted on 03/15/2021 5:16:30 AM PDT by Kaslin

In light of recent events, it is worth wondering whether there was some hidden wisdom in the old interdiction on British royals marrying American divorcees. And yet Edward VIII, when faced with a choice between the monarchy and the woman he loved, at least chose to abdicate rather than throw the British government into crisis.

In the modern day, it is impossible to imagine Meghan Markle showing such grace or dignity. And so an uneven battle is pitched: Markle can appear on television and claim anything she wants, her account accepted uncritically by Oprah Winfrey and most of the American public, while the Royal Family, held back by tradition and decorum, must limit itself to mealy-mouthed statements on how “some recollections may vary.”

Brendan O’Neill, writing for Spiked, had the best take on the Markle/Oprah interview that I have seen yet, when he argued that the interview represents a “conflict between the contemporary cults of victimhood and identity politics… and the older ideals of duty, self-sacrifice, stoicism and keeping your sh*t together.”

But it goes further than that: Markle’s interview was perhaps the most quintessential exercise in wokeness that we have seen in years. Generations to come (hopefully more sensible than our own) may look back on the interview as the movement’s pinnacle moment. To this end, it is worth watching carefully and attentively.

First, the obvious: for someone of Markle’s social position to claim such extensive victimhood on the basis of race is utterly preposterous, particularly in an era when so many others have a better claim to suffering. (Perhaps the teenagers driven to suicide by pandemic and lockdown might be worthy of some notice?) For Markle to go further, and posit without evidence that members of the British Royal Family are racist, is about as low a blow as can be dealt.

In her assertions on this matter, Markle is deliberately vague. She is careful not to implicate any individual Royal, instead blaming the “Institution,” and yet an institution is made up of individuals, and the alleged comment about the skin color of her son was made (if it was indeed made) by one or more individuals. If it is germane to come forward with the comment, thereby casting a pall over all Royals, then why not name names? The Commonwealth has the right to know if its Head of State is racist.

This is emblematic of how wokeness operates: the allegation must hold the weight of a conviction. By specifying the allegation, Markle would make it refutable.

Beyond that, Markle seems intent on searching for complaints and assuming the worst. She bemoans that no one taught her how to be a Royal, that she had to Google the lyrics to Britain’s National Anthem. No doubt, if the Royals had instructed her on customs, she would have complained about being “whitewashed” and made over in their image, which – if Meghan’s account is even true – is probably why they steered clear of doing so.

Here we see the double-bind and the unfalsifiability of wokeness, in which whatever anyone says or does can be twisted to have ill intent, if the listener desires it to be so. It is prosecution without defense.

Similarly, insofar as Markle was treated unfairly by the British tabloid press as compared to Kate Middleton (a claim that Markle and Oprah both accept as axiomatic), it probably stemmed less from her being black than from her being American. But the intent has been preemptively determined, and Markle’s emotional truth cannot be denied.

Markle’s claims of suicidality, also coached in “your truth” language by Oprah, are a direct allegation lobbed at the Royals: they drove her to the point of suicide. For this allegation, Markle provides no corroboration whatsoever, only her word. Anyone, during any time of difficulty, could probably legitimately claim vague suicidal thoughts. All of this, too, stands in conflict with the woke notion that mental health is a matter of mere brain chemistry.

Finally, the format of the interview itself is revelatory. Markle first speaks alone with Oprah, and then she and Harry appear together. Why not Harry alone, for a chance to speak his truth independently? In wokeness, women can speak alone but men cannot.

Harry, with what little he does speak, reveals that he was actually, all appearance to the contrary, terribly unhappy for the first 34 years of his life, until the beautiful Meghan Markle came to spirit him away, a sort of reverse damsel-in-distress story. It is too conveniently archetypal a tale to be taken entirely at face value.

And yet, perhaps Harry hating his job was the point. The opulence of royalty cannot come without some drawback, some sense of reciprocal duty. In the words of Harry’s great-grandfather, World War II-era monarch King George XI, “The highest of distinctions is service to others.” In our era, the highest of distinctions is service to one’s brand name and ability to claim coveted victim status, and Markle’s interview proves it.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: griftinmeg; griftinmeggie; meagain; meagainfarthole; meghanmarkle; oprah; princeharry; royalfamily; royalgrifters
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1 posted on 03/15/2021 5:16:30 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Yo, Duchess, it could’ve been worse. You could’ve been one of Andrew Coomo’s secretaries. THEN where would you be?


2 posted on 03/15/2021 5:19:35 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all.)
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To: Kaslin

The Duchess of Joke


3 posted on 03/15/2021 5:20:03 AM PDT by Vision (Elections are one day. Reject "Chicago" vote harvesting. Election Reform Now. Obama is an evildoer.)
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To: Kaslin

Harry’s biggest mistake of his life was marrying a publicity-obsessed leftist American bitch.


4 posted on 03/15/2021 5:20:28 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Enough. Divide the country.. now. )
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To: ScottinVA

I have two words for Harry: Anne Boleyn


5 posted on 03/15/2021 5:23:07 AM PDT by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Gone but not forgiven.)
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To: Kaslin

In the words of Harry’s great-grandfather, World War II-era monarch King George XI, ....


it would surprise the queen to learn her father was George the XI and not George VI.


6 posted on 03/15/2021 5:24:54 AM PDT by ChronicMA
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To: ScottinVA
Harry’s biggest mistake of his life was marrying a publicity-obsessed leftist American bitch.

Yeah, but it has made people forget about his taking selfies with Las Vegas strippers.

That was a pretty cagey move.

7 posted on 03/15/2021 5:27:07 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all.)
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To: Kaslin

When you choose to be judged by the color of your skin, as Markle clearly has, then you must accept being judged by the color of your skin. I am white. As far back as my ancestors can be traced, I’m 100% Scandinavian. Markle has the same skin color as I have.

Judge her by her skin color.


8 posted on 03/15/2021 5:33:21 AM PDT by norwaypinesavage (The stone age didn't end because we ran out of stones.)
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To: ChronicMA
it would surprise the queen to learn her father was George the XI and not George VI.

That George XI sure did get around.

9 posted on 03/15/2021 5:36:09 AM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham ("God is a spirit, and man His means of walking on the earth.")
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To: Kaslin

I have never been a fan of Oprah - except in her early days in the seventies when there wasn’t much choice on TV - it was Oprah or Phil Donahue as I recall.

I didn’t watch the interview she did with the “non royal couple” but saw enough pieces to be surprised that Oprah didn’t let anything that Harry said go unquestioned - she had a question for just about every sentence he spoke. When he used canned and generic responses, she was right there to ask him - what he meant. I think he was surprised..but good for her. I didn’t see any snips of the interview with the “wife.”


10 posted on 03/15/2021 5:41:29 AM PDT by Thank You Rush
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To: Kaslin

The former princes wants to tear down the royals because they are the most white thing out there. She is everything wrong about wokeness. Her morals are flawed. Her facts are flawed. And her intentions are flawed. In short she is a stupid, spoiled, fake child, who wants to stay rich and famous no matter who she hurts getting there. And Harry proves what we always knew. The royals are not the brightest people.


11 posted on 03/15/2021 5:47:11 AM PDT by poinq
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To: Kaslin
In terms of publicity, Meghan is already MUCH bigger than the Queen. Not bad for a Hollywood type who defines success in terms of publicity.

She's the Queen of Woke.

12 posted on 03/15/2021 5:47:42 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: Kaslin

Harry is dumb as a rock. Even Diana knew it. The fool thinks Megan saved him. She ruined his life and destroyed his family ties. Now she is trying to tarnish the monarchy. She purposely won’t say who mentioned archive’s possible skin tone. Kate and William went to univ. You think they didn’t study Mendels laws.


13 posted on 03/15/2021 6:15:21 AM PDT by gcparent (MAGA)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Prince William says ‘we are very much not a racist family’ and he hasn’t spoken to Harry yet but plans to
Meghan and Harry made a series of shocking claims about their time as working royals during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Friday 12 March 2021 05:37, UK
https://news.sky.com/story/prince-william-says-we-are-very-much-not-a-racist-family-and-he-hasnt-spoken-to-harry-yet-but-plans-to-12242614


14 posted on 03/15/2021 6:16:47 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Kaslin

That horrible cartoon. Its an ugly caricature of the queen and portrays her in a bad way. They should shove that cartoon in Harry’s face. Look what you have done. If only Philip was younger and healthier to deal with this. Meghan suicide? The one vulnerable to suicide is Harry. He’s unstable.


15 posted on 03/15/2021 6:23:02 AM PDT by gcparent (MAGA)
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To: Texas Eagle
Yo, Duchess, it could’ve been worse. You could’ve been one of Andrew Coomo’s secretaries. THEN where would you be?
She reminds me a bit of our own Kameltoe Harris, so she'd probably be NY State's lieutenant governor and on the shortlist to replace him when he resigns or is impeached.
16 posted on 03/15/2021 6:26:57 AM PDT by Blurb2350 (posted from my 1500-watt blow dryer)
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To: gcparent

Harry is pu$$y-whipped.


17 posted on 03/15/2021 6:28:01 AM PDT by july4thfreedomfoundation (Bite Me.....The Commander-in-Thief, Commander-in-Cheat, Illegitimate president!)
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To: All
Money-hungry Markle deliberately poisoned the well…... positing without evidence that the British Royal Family are racist…...about as low a blow as can be dealt.

Markle showed an astounding ignorance of British history……does this look like racism?

The Queen made actor Sidney Poitier (Bahamian by birth) an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1974.

Academy Award winner Poitier in "Lilies of the Field."

The Queen in Ghana.

Harry's father Prince Charles walked Markle down the aisle and accompanied her mother outside the church.

18 posted on 03/15/2021 6:30:59 AM PDT by Liz (Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use. )
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To: All
Money-hungry Markle deliberately poisoned the well…... positing without evidence that the British Royal Family are racist…...about as low a blow as can be dealt.

Markle showed an astounding ignorance of British history……does this look like racism?

The Queen made actor Sidney Poitier (Bahamian by birth) an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1974.

Academy Award winner Poitier in "Lilies of the Field."

The Queen in Ghana.

Harry's father Prince Charles walked Markle down the aisle and accompanied her mother outside the church.

19 posted on 03/15/2021 6:30:59 AM PDT by Liz (Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use. )
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To: All

20 posted on 03/15/2021 6:36:45 AM PDT by Liz (Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use. )
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