The British media seems to be doing Meghan Markle's work for her. One of the reasons behind Harry and Meghan's decision to step back as senior royals has been the relentless press attacks against the couple. The fact that the blame for this decision has fallen squarely on Meghan is just another example of how she's treated unfairly.
While Harry has spoken on the decision a bit during select appearances, Meghan has remained mum. We can't blame her when it's likely anything she says will be used against her. Unfortunately, that leaves hordes of haters with the ability to draw their own misguided conclusions. Among them is Victoria Mather, a British journalist who, despite specializing in travel, appeared on MSNBC Live to talk about the royal family.
Viewers and royal fans around the world were shocked during the segment when Victoria referred to Meghan as "five clicks up from trailer trash." It's not the first time that Victoria has made the comparison, either. Now Meghan's fans are dishing it right back at Victoria, slamming her racism and asking that she be fired.
The British media's treatment of Meghan Markle is believed to be a major reason behind her and Harry's decision to step back from the royal family. Those who support the crown think this point is exaggerated. One British journalist proved Meghan's point for her with an appalling appearance on MSNBC Live.
Her name is Victoria Mather. She writes about travel for Air Mail, The Telegraph, and, previously, Vanity Fair. She was incorrectly labeled during the segment as a "Vanity Fair Royals Watcher." She was there to talk about Harry and Meghan's final appearance as senior royals.
During the segment, she offered this explanation for why the British public is so hard on Meghan.
"I think what has really, really upset the British public is that Meghan Markle, who many people consider as only, you know, five clicks up from trailer trash, has actually tried to disrespect the queen," she said. "And the queen is the most respected person, most respected woman, in the world."
Earlier in the broadcast, Victoria also insinuated that Kate Middleton was part of Meghan's problem. In saying Meghan didn't like the rules of the establishment, she also said that Meghan "didn’t want to be second best" to the Duchess of Cambridge. Again, the blame was squarely put with Meghan, as if Harry is going along with this against his will.
"Don't forget Prince Harry is — you know, has always been the spare to the heir. So I don't think Meghan Markle wanted to spend the rest of her life looking at Kate Middleton's back as she sat in the second row to the future queen," she said.
"I don't think she wanted — she didn't want to be second best. And I don't think she got that that was what — that is what the fusty-dusty protocol of the royal family consists of. It is a matter of precedence."
Anchor Lindsey Reiser was visibly appalled by Victoria's comments. She ended the segment quickly, yet professionally. It was clear Lindsey could anticipate that these comments were about to blow all the way up. Some are also placing blame with Lindsey, however, as she did not directly address the shameful comments before cutting the segment.
Lindsey did note that MSNBC did not independently confirm an earlier comment of Victoria's. Victoria claimed Meghan had given Kate a knife for Christmas.
"I do hear that she gave Kate a knife for Christmas," she laughed. "Which is quite something, isn't it?"
Many took to social media to express their thoughts on the segment. Some people were quick to acknowledge that while most people don't feel that way, a segment of Brits does indeed look down on Meghan. They can't see past her race and the ways they feel she's slighted the royal family.
As people turn to the publications that employ Victoria, demanding that they fire her, it was discovered that she's no longer associated with Vanity Fair.
Executive editor Claire Howorth tweeted, "We are looking into how this happened—She is not on our masthead and hasn’t contributed since 2018. Totally horrific things to say about Meghan Markle, or anyone."
Victoria wrote about the royal family for Air Mail in September, where she again made disparaging comments about Meghan. She referred to Meghan as "the Duchess of Excess" before laying into her further.
"As for the reported feud between the duchesses, that was a story waiting to happen," she wrote. "Catherine comes from a stable, close-knit family. Meghan comes from a sadly dysfunctional family, leading to her being unpleasantly trolled as trailer trash."
Victoria has changed her Instagram to a private profile after many people slammed her in comments on her own photos.
“Use your platform to uplift women. Don’t jump on the bandwagon of hate,” one person wrote.
“I love it when old, tired, dried out folks expose their hatred and racism. 5 clicks to obscurity,” another wrote, according to The Shade Room.
Many fans have noted how the continued attacks on Meghan are loud and plentiful. Meanwhile, criticism of other royals, from Prince William who joked about spreading the coronavirus to Prince Andrew who refuses to cooperate with the FBI, is quickly silenced. Some have questioned if the royal family is repeating mistakes of the past with their willingness to protect only blood relatives.
Prince William's problem is just another sign of him missing the mark in relatability. Prince Andrew's are much bigger, however. He's working on making a return to royal life despite the recent statement made by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman.
"Contrary to Prince Andrew's very public offer to cooperate with our investigation into Epstein's co-conspirators, an offer that was conveyed through press release, Prince Andrew has now completely shut the door on voluntary cooperation and our office is considering its options," he noted in a press conference on Monday.
All the recent royal family drama may seem to revolve around Harry and Meghan. With them officially separated from the institution as of the end of the month, the press will need to look to a new scapegoat. As Harry and Meghan start their next chapter together, the team behind The Firm will need to look for a new way to distract from other ongoing issues within the family.
