On December 8, 2022, Netflix began airing “Harry & Meghan,” a docuseries following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as they share the intimate details of their complex relationship, including their euphoric courtship and the obstacles that led to their exit from life as full-time working royals. Throughout the countless interviews, Prince Harry and Meghan make it clear to the audience, and especially the British press, that they are not publicly sharing their story to insult or ruin the royal family, but rather to get their truth out through their own words. As Meghan states in the first episode, “Books are written about our story from people who I don’t know. Doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?”

Following the mixed responses to the docuseries, with some embracing new positive opinions on the couple and others leaving with an even stronger misplaced hatred for the two, Prince Harry released his tell-all memoir “Spare” on January 10, 2023. In his interview with Prince Harry for 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper explains that the title “Spare” is a nod to Harry’s backup role in the line of succession, making him human insurance. With the release of the memoir came intense news coverage from the British press and increased public support, specifically due to the reveal of a physical altercation between Prince Harry and the heir to his spare, Prince William. He details how the argument initially began as an intense shouting match, with William rudely speaking about his wife Meghan and him angrily speaking up on her behalf. On 60 Minutes, Prince Harry explains, “He was shouting at me. I was shouting back at him. It wasn’t nice. It wasn’t pleasant at all. And he snapped. And he pushed me to the floor.”

As “Spare” garnered more readers, public opinion of the royal family began to sway negatively. Prince Harry dove into the frequency with which royal family members fed the press stories to maintain a favorable image, including his father King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. Additionally, Camilla hosted an exclusive lunch, where she invited Piers Morgan, a British broadcaster known for often discussing and shaming Meghan Markle. These events have led to discussions on social media about abolishing the monarchy, trademarked with the hashtags #AbolishTheMonarchy, #WilliamIsABully, and #GoodKingHarry. However, some believe that the drama surrounding the royal family is taking attention away from their real impact on the world. Ramona McNish ‘24 expresses her issue with this, stating, “We are treating the royal family as silly reality TV show entertainment and it’s distracting us from the drain which the monarchy is on the United Kingdom.” So, is this recent cry for the reconstruction of the royal institution a response to the building royal family feud or does it have a legitimate basis?