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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National

Harry and Meghan's latest royal curiosity shows how fine we are living with contradictions

Simon Walker writes for the Newcastle Herald.

The latest royal scandal involving Harry and Meghan - Megxit - underlines our curious ability to live with contradiction.

It's a practical type of behaviour that seems to concede that although we humans strive for consistency, there are always exceptions to the rule.

We all believe in freedom of expression, for example, but no one's that keen on hate speech.

Science and religion are at constant loggerheads on just about everything, but generally everyone prays someone makes evidence-based decisions in a hospital.

And we live in a democracy where every vote counts, and yet no one elected the royals and there they are at the top of the social pyramid playing out a tax payer funded soap opera in public.

How come we live with this contradiction?

The company line is that if they weren't there, the plebs would be rudderless.

Which is questionable these days with social media everywhere.

The plebs have fake news to guide them.

And failing that, politicians.

More from Simon Walker: The complete That's Life archive

We're all born equal, they say, but clearly some are born more equal than others, as a quick flick through the gossip mags at the checkout reveals.

That elevated level of equality obviously impacts negatively on some celebrities.

Particularly when it focus of every little detail of their every waking hour.

Hence, Harry and Meghan have taken the perfectly logical view from their ivory tower that being in the royal spotlight ain't worth the hassle anymore.

And who could blame them? All that pomp, circumstance, wealth and privilege - pfft! Just give 'em the wealth and privilege, they say, and a bit of privacy.

Not that I don't sympathise with Harry and Meghan, at the checkout level, because if they weren't in the gossip mag, what would I be reading?

The two good things about Megxit are: one, it's taken the focus off Brexit; and two, no one's talking about Prince Andrew anymore.

Not that I'm running down the royals either because if you believe conspiracy theories, there are those in the secret service better at that than me. Take on the palace at your peril.

Royalty seems like a contradiction in modern times, yet it has survived centuries of fratricidal mayhem, religious upheaval and the occasional up against the wall type scenario, and I'm not betting against it on this occasion either.

Because even though everyone knows royalty is a fairytale, it's still pretty popular.

Much to the annoyance of republicans.

Indeed people go to war to defend the fairytale despite most people not believing in war either. Go figure.

Harry and Meghan's move threatens to burst the bubble of royal relevance, hence her majesty has worked overtime to get it out of the limelight.

And yet who can't relate to a family crisis?

Even if that family in no way bares any resemblance to that of the royal subjects.

Flexibility in thought and action is the key, and just as God may save the Queen, evolution will be critical for the royals.

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