 Ronn Torossian |
The wedding of Prince Harry, the sixth person in line to the British throne, to former actress Meghan Markle, is almost here. On May 19, all eyes will go to the bride and groom, turning our attention away from Kate and William, who in April announced the arrival of another baby boy. The question is, will the media change its tune about Meghan Markle once rings and vows are exchanged?
Until now, both the press and the UK overall have had a somewhat divided attitude towards the royal union. While there are plenty of magazines and media outlets that seem thrilled by the idea of another royal to report on, other voices suggest the wedding might not be as much of a fairytale as people assume. For instance, Germaine Greer announced that she thought the princess-to-be would "bolt" before the wedding was over.
At the same time, Ann Widdecombe — a former conservative MP for Britain — announced that she was uncertain about the Markle union, claiming that the new royal had a background and an attitude that was cause for concern.
Problems with the press
Meghan, the former star of legal drama “Suits,” isn’t the only one who’s had a few issues with the press in the run-up to the royal wedding. Harry’s attitude towards the media has always been difficult. In fact, he’s been doing his best to remove as many journalists from the big day as possible. There’s a chance that the source of this tension comes down to the fact that Harry blames the death of his mother, Princess Diana, on the press.
Combine those feelings of anger and distrust with the fact that Meghan Markle has been subject to a serious amount of media harassment and distrust, it’s easy to see how the press might need to change its tune in the coming months. While most of the coverage for Meghan has been relatively good throughout the last few months, the tabloids have also jumped on any chance to circulate stories about Meghan’s relatives, as well as postulate theories on the many things that could go wrong on the big day. One of the most recent stories has focused on the fact that Meghan’s father won’t be able to attend to the wedding due to heart problems.
Will attitudes change?
No matter how the press seems to feel about the royal union at this point, we’ll have to wait and see how attitudes change in the months ahead. While some predict that the news will take a more positive spin after they exchange vows, others are less optimistic. Some tabloids are sure to keep their focus on scandal wherever they can find it, particularly because of Markle’s American background.
Of course, if Will and Kate are any indicator, there’s a good chance that interest and love for Meghan and Harry will only grow after they’ve wed. We’re sure to see plenty of photos of Meghan grocery shopping, alongside any potential stories that might come out of the woodwork.
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Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, one of America’s leading PR firms.
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