Why Meghan Markle’s Story Is Just Like That Of DILs In Traditional Indian Families

Meghan Markle revealed in a recent interview with Oprah, the emotional and mental trauma she has gone through during her stay at Buckingham Palace.

Misogyny is prevalent not only in India but also in developed countries around the world.

Women have always been shackled with regulations and mandates. Even education has failed to enlighten the male chauvinists about the need for gender equality and freedom of choice. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex and also member of the British Royal family after marrying Prince Harry, could not escape it.

An American citizen by birth, a woman of mixed racial heritage with a black mother and a white father, and a former actress, Meghan married Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex in May 2018 in a fairy tale wedding at Windsor Castle. But soon she realised how she was being judged and questioned on every aspect and choice in her life, even compared to the ‘perfect’ older daughter in law Catherine. Meghan and Harry’s first child, Archie, was born soon in 2019.

In the year 2020 however, the couple moved out of the palace leaving behind their royal privileges. The reason for their exit from the royal family was “lack of support and lack of understanding” as stated by Prince Harry.

They officially relocated across the seas to California, USA.

Meghan and Harry have taken their leave from the royal family but they still stand strong for the commitments they had made as royal members. But they will be fulfilling those commitments on their own terms, without any interventions from the royal family.

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Why is everyone talking about their interview with Oprah?

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently gave their first media appearance in the Oprah Winfrey Show after giving up their royal rights.

They opened up on the various aspects which compelled the couple to move out of the royal family. The most shocking revelation was their racist conversation during Meghan’s pregnancy about the possibility of their unborn child being dark skinned.

They felt trapped in the royal life. The numerous pressures that the Duchess had to face were distressing to the extent that she even contemplated suicide at a point in time.

Harry revealed that his family never supported his wife and in turn Meghan had to suffer character assassination by the British media as a result of false stories circulated about her.

Harry confessed that if he did not marry Meghan he would never have realised how he was trapped within the royal boundaries. He expressed his concern for his father and brother still being trapped.

The Duke of Sussex expressed gratitude for his mother late Princess Diana. He said his mother had seen this coming and hence she had left both his sons a fortune of £6.5 million each. It was this inheritance due to which he could take a stand in his life. He compared his wife’s predicament to his late mother’s and hence took this decision.

Isn’t all this so much like the great Indian family?

All of this is so like the traditional Indian family with their difficulty in accepting a daughter-in-law who may be ‘different’, or not to their liking. A daughter-in-law who is not the ‘good’ Indian daughter-in-law who must behave the way they want, follow their traditions, and give up her own self. Where she is blamed for every crisis that the family has to face, or actions of her husband or them as a couple.

And of course, the all encompassing need for a ‘fair’ bride for the son, who should have ‘fair’ children.

It is high time that we women rise as a community above these conformist regulations. And for that we need to start supporting our sisters and have each other’s backs. Until then, men who feel entitled to their privileges aren’t going to think again.

Women need to take a bold stand like Meghan Markle when it comes to their life choices. Even more than that, husbands need to recognise the problems their wives face and support them like Harry does for his wife. Only then can there be any change.

Image source: YouTube

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