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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter.

A fun little fact about me — I’m absolutely obsessed with Meghan Markle! I really can’t explain my love for this woman and Prince Harry, but I’ve been rooting for them since day one. When they announced their engagement, I counted down the days till their wedding, and my mom even took me to a movie theater to watch it in all its glory. I have a commemorative mug, magazines, photo albums, Funko Pops, and of course, a replica of Meghan’s gorgeous engagement ring. So, having to see the blatant hate, racism and lies the British and American tabloids have been sharing these past few years has hurt my soul. I always thought the idea of a woman of color joining the royal family would be a cause for celebration (I mean, finally, right?) but sadly, the world sucks sometimes, and it’s led us to where we are now. Meghan, Harry, and their precious son Archie have been cut off from the royal family and now they’re picking up the pieces of their life here in America. I really don’t want to rehash the hate and tragedy of Meghan’s time as the Duchess of Sussex, because that’s been talked about enough. I want to talk about the beauty and opportunity that this new life outside of the royal family is providing for a couple who deserve the world. 

 

So, in case you somehow missed it last week, Oprah aired a tell-all interview with Meghan and Harry. They shared their story for the first time and spoke about how life has been behind the scenes the last few years. Interviews like this are unheard of in the royal family, with really only the incredible Princess Diana ever having done something similar. The fact that they’re able to speak so freely and share things we’ve never heard of just shows the freedom they’ve attained by leaving the family.

We learned in this interview that as a member of the royal family, you lose your car keys, passport, driver’s license, and your ability to get help if you desperately need it. That alone is a crazy amount of freedom to lose, and just think, Harry has never known anything different until now. For the first time, he’s having to figure out how to make an income and survive without the resources he was born into. Meanwhile, Meghan gave up these freedoms for love and was berated by everyone before she was stripped of all “protection and security” and thrown back into the world.  

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Photo by Mark Jones distributed under a CC BY 2.0 license

They’ve had to adjust quickly, especially since the pandemic hit right when they lost their security detail. Look where they’re at now though — they own a gorgeous house with the cutest chicken coup for some chickens they rescued from a farm. They also started their own podcast and made a deal with Netflix to start their own foundation named Archewell, and they’re expecting a baby girl this summer. 

Life for this princess and her prince has been hard since the beginning, and they’re finally getting to live their happily ever after. I think Meghan said it best when referencing the Disney classic, The Little Mermaid. “She falls in love with a prince, and because of that, she has to lose her voice…by the end, she gets her voice back.”

I can’t wait to see what Meghan does now that she has her voice back and her prince by her side. 

Hannah is currently a senior at the University of Central Florida studying film and history. Her goal is to one day bring the worlds of film and television to life through design. She loves all things film, books, and Disney. When she is not escaping to far off worlds she is grabbing coffee and planning her next Disney trip. If you want to follow along on all her adventures you can follow her on Instagram @hannahkonfilm
UCF Contributor