Photo: Courtesy of Netflix, Prince Harry, and Meg
It’s a very weird concept, but for a moment don’t think of the British royal family as a family, but rather as a business.
That’s how New York Times bestselling biographer Andrew Morton explained them to the host of Reality Life with Kate Casey following the release of Netflix’s Harry & Meghan. Kate Casey begins the episode by stating she can only offer her observations as an American, an outsider looking in, and she wanted to give some context to a situation that can be very complicated.
“This is essentially a family business,” she said. “Just like a dysfunctional family business, the royal family is extremely complicated with deep friction involving members of the family who hold positions of power. So, everything is centered around positions.”
As both Casey and Morton point out in this episode, every new addition to the royal family is a new “employee” who may immediately dilute someone else’s importance in the hierarchy. Siblings are siblings until an heir is born, then the focus shifts to the new baby and stays there.
“Look at Prince Andrew, classic example,” said Morton. “He was number two behind King Charles III for a time, a war time hero during the Falkland's conflict in 1982, he was the playboy of the Western world, the pin-up royal, the most eligible bachelor. Now look, whatever he is now, tenth in line for the throne, and living in disgrace.”
It seems unfair to compare Prince Harry to his uncle and it is outside of the royal family. The two are seemingly nothing alike. Morton explains that every royal has their time in the sun, but eventually it moves on to those in the immediate line of succession.
“It’s not a republic, it’s not a meeting of equals,” he said. “Prince William is further up the hierarchy than Prince Harry will ever be, he’s always going to be an auxiliary branch.”
While this hierarchy affects obvious things, like titles and royal duties, it also affects things like media coverage. Good media coverage is reserved for Prince Harry and his family because of their position, something British media is accustomed to. This is one reason why they have been so critical of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The couple were expected to fade into the background and let the spotlight shine on people “more important” than themselves.
Again, it’s a strange concept when thought of in a family setting. However, as Casey puts it, they aren’t a family, they are “Britain Inc.,” a family company. This helps explain why the royals are so irritated by the Harry & Meghan documentary, it takes the spotlight off the head of the company (King Charles III) and casts the monarchy in a bad light.
“This is unheard of, having a royal family member express their innermost feelings and grievances,” said Casey. “This is really their story. Their point of view, a couple, a member of a royal family and his wife. A biracial woman integrating herself into the world in which he was raised.”
Morton’s newest biography covers the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II. He has also written about the life of the late Princess Diana.
Listen to “’Harry and Meghan’ on Netflix Royal Family with Andrew Morton,” to hear the full conversation. Reality Life with Kate Casey releases new episodes regularly and covers the hottest topics on unscripted television. Find it on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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