Why are people having such a hard time coming to terms with the fact that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want to take control of their lives in the public eye?
This week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they are "overjoyed" to be expecting their second baby and that they are to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, famously a friend of the couple.
This came days after Meghan's legal victory against British newspaper the Mail on Sunday, after the tabloid published parts of a private letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle.
Their news also comes more than a year after the couple announced plans to step back as senior royals in January 2020.
At no stage have they declared plans to "live off-grid in the Canadian wilderness" – although I am sure that prospect crossed their minds when they read some of the hate and vitriol directed towards them, at Meghan in particular, on the internet.
To the contrary, in their earliest announcement about "stepping back" – the exact phrasing used in their January 8, 2020 statement – they say the decision was made in order to "raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter".
They also said they "[looked] forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course".
Hardly the vernacular of a publicity-shy couple cut off from the outside world.
At the same time, they published a vision for their new role on their website, which specified they would "provide access to credible media outlets focused on objective news reporting to cover key moments and events" and "continue to share information directly to the wider public via their official communications channels".
Fast-forward one year and that is exactly what they have done. They have announced a key, and joyous, event – that they are expecting a second baby – via their own spokesperson, sharing an image taken by a professional photographer, who also happens to be a friend.
Collaborations with media platforms have been in place long before they stepped back from the royal family. In April 2019, it was announced that Harry was working on a documentary series about mental health with Winfrey for Apple TV+. The Sussexes have since signed a Netflix deal worth a rumoured £100 million ($135 million); they have also joined forces with audio streaming giant Spotify.
I am still not seeing a publicity-shy behaviour pattern.
It makes sense that Winfrey is the TV personality that would get their first interview. Sure, she's certainly not a "grassroots media organisation", as per their original manifesto, but she has a long history of knowing the couple and working with them. She attended their 2018 wedding.
Winfrey also has a history of royal interviews – in 2011 she interviewed Sarah Ferguson, a year after she was caught by an undercover tabloid reporter taking a bribe in exchange for access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew.
Of the interview, CBS has announced: "Winfrey will speak with Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in a wide-ranging interview, covering everything from stepping into life as a royal, marriage, motherhood, philanthropic work to how she is handling life under intense public pressure.
"Later, the two are joined by Prince Harry as they speak about their move to the US and their future hopes and dreams for their expanding family."
Even this remains true to their original intentions. They are giving managed insight into their life, while attempting to side-step the harassment they faced as senior royals.
Following their Valentine's Day pregnancy news, British tabloid the Daily Star splashed the Misan Harriman photograph that was released with the announcement on its cover, with the headline: "You couldn't make this up ... publicity-shy woman tells 7.67 billion people: 'I'm pregnant'."
The fact that Prince Harry is also in the photo seems to have been conveniently missed in the misogynistic reporting.
Nobody wants to hear they're the gas lighter in a relationship, but I can't help but feel that's what has happened with fractions of the British press. They have been called out for their abusive ways, and now they're acting out. The cycle of abuse could have continued this way indefinitely, if Harry and Meghan hadn't tried to put a stop to it.
Since stepping back as senior royals, the pair have remained firmly in the public eye. They have taken part in high-profile summits via Zoom, handed out meals to those in need in Los Angeles mid-pandemic and even launched a podcast.
At no stage have they behaved like people who wish to live as anonymous members of the general public. Meghan has just asked not to have private letters to her father published for the world to see.
Even the Kardashians dictate and control the lens on their lives, and they literally invited a camera crew into their homes for the best part of 14 years, documenting their every move.
Harry and Meghan, however, never asked to have every step they took documented.
Meghan was a relatively well-known woman who fell in love with one of the most famous people on the planet. A royal who has always had a fraught relationship with the media and public eye; a parent dying following a car chase with paparazzi will do that to a person, though.
Yet here we are, 23 years later, living with the same level of entitlement when it comes to watching the royals.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Key fixtures from January 5-7
Watford v Bristol City
Liverpool v Everton
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan
Coventry v Stoke City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Manchester United v Derby
Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom
Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon
Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City
Manchester City v Burnley
Shrewsbury v West Ham United
Wolves v Swansea City
Newcastle United v Luton Town
Fulham v Southampton
Norwich City v Chelsea
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
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On sale: Now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
![When stepping back as senior royals, Prince Harry and Meghan said they wanted to 'raise [their] son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born'. Reuters](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/TS7QL7LCY5CD4TLIY22MAF4VD4.jpg?smart=true&auth=3f1536e8c33da96983e90efcd104ca58fb213a9185bd9a7ad36d8ffb2ba81644&width=800&height=534)
