Opinion / Princesses in distress: Meghan Markle isn’t the only royal who’s struggled with palace life – so did Princess Diana, Emperor Naruhito’s wife Masako and Dubai’s Princess Latifa

Mar 18 , 2021

Princess Diana with Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle. Members of the House of Windsor – whether by birth or marriage – still have little autonomy over their personal lives. Photo: @oprahmagazine

In Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess of Sussex discussed the difficulties of living with the British royal family

Harvard-educated Empress Masako gave up her career as a diplomat but her daughter Princess Aiko can’t ascend the throne due to the Imperial Household Law

It’s March 2021. As the world celebrated International Women’s Day, the day dedicated to advancing gender equality, Meghan Markle tackled empowerment in a way only she could – by seeking to reclaim the narrative surrounding “Megxit”. In that infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey (we’re awaiting all the spoofs and pop-culture references sure to come soon), she and Prince Harry revealed details about the British royal family that must be keeping the British side – or their advisers – very busy in the realms of damage control.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry during their interview with Oprah Winfrey. Photo: @oprahmagazine/Instagram

Was Meghan right to do the interview? We could debate about it for hours and still have differing opinions. The same goes for the appalling allegations of racism and elitism, and who we choose to believe.

But regardless of whether you’re on the side of Harry and Meghan or Buckingham Palace, one thing’s for certain – nobody’s shrugging off the current conversation around the British royals and getting on with life.

In fact, having uncomfortable conversations is important. How else will anything change, especially when it comes to women’s issues? Princess Diana might have been branded a troublemaker and attention-seeker by some when she spoke out, but her ordeals paved the way for more leeway within the tightly controlled British monarchy.

One thing hasn’t really changed, though. Members of the House of Windsor – whether by birth or marriage – still have little autonomy over their personal lives. The same goes for other royals around the world. In 2018, Princess Latifa, the daughter of Dubai’s ruler, made headlines when she was apparently brought back to her home country against her will. In a video, she explained that she decided to flee in part due to maltreatment from her father. Meanwhile, according to Sky News, Dubai claimed the retrieval was a mission to rescue her from being tricked by criminals seeking money – presumably her co-conspirators.