In the bustling British-themed Tea and Sympathy cafe in New York’s West Village, patrons sipped high tea and discussed the latest chapter in the Megxit saga – Harry and Meghan’s new Netflix series. For these tourists from Texas, the royal drama unfolding across the pond was a classic fairytale with a contemporary twist, fitting for America’s era of reflection.
The documentary confirmed what many Americans already believed: the couple faced rejection due to rigid traditions and a strict class and racial hierarchy within the British Royal Family. While some viewers may find the family drama uncomfortable, they argue that Harry and Meghan deserve to share their side of the story.
Interestingly, American sentiment toward the couple differs significantly from that in Britain. Meghan is viewed favorably by 43 percent of Americans but only 28 percent of Britons. Prince Harry, on the other hand, enjoys greater popularity in the US.
Skylar Baker-Jordan, an American commentator, attributes this divergence to the contrasting class systems and social mobility between the two countries. Meghan’s ambition, seen as positive in the US, may be perceived as arrogance by the British.
“To the British, that would read as arrogance,” Baker-Jordan writes for The Watercooler. “To Americans, it reads as ambition – and ambition is encouraged in this country. Meghan is, in many regards, the epitome of the American dream. She was a middle-class child of a single mom who attended one of the most prestigious universities in the country – Northwestern – and made it big, first in television and then… working with the United Nations to advocate for the rights of women. Then she meets and falls in love with a prince.”
The documentary’s revelations about the rigid traditions and racial hierarchy within the Royal Family have struck a chord with many American viewers. They see Harry and Meghan’s story as a testament to the ongoing struggle for inclusivity and representation, even within the highest echelons of society.
Yet there are others in America who have come to grow weary of the couple. Caroline Russo, 52, said that her affection for Prince Harry’s late mother Diana had made her largely sympathetic to them both at first, but that changed recently. “There’s a faux naivety that you see with Meghan in the documentary,” she says. “All this pretending that she didn’t know what she was signing up for, that she didn’t know anything about how the Royal family operates.”
The gap in perception between the US and UK is also evident in Meghan’s account of her first curtsy at Buckingham Palace. While some Brits interpreted it as mockery, American viewers saw a humbled young woman navigating an unfamiliar tradition.
As the Megxit saga continues to unfold, the transatlantic divide in how Harry and Meghan’s story is perceived highlights the cultural differences between the two countries. While some Americans see the couple as the embodiment of the American dream, others have grown skeptical of their motives. Ultimately, the Netflix series has provided a platform for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to share their side of the story, captivating audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
