Prince Harry’s Privilege: A Discussion on the Royal Family’s Business Model

Prince Harry recently spoke to Dax Shepard on his Armchair Expert podcast about his desire to do one good deed a day and then be able to relax.

While this comment was well-intentioned, it has sparked a conversation about Harry's privilege.

Anne Gripper, host of God Save the Queen podcast, pointed out that most people have responsibilities like going to work to earn a living that Harry seems to have forgotten about.

She also argued that the business model of the royal family means that public money is used to fund them, so the public feel like they own them.

Due to this, royals have to give a lot of themselves away and don't have much freedom to do their own thing.

Harry's claim that he has seen the business model of the royal family and wanted nothing to do with it was also questioned by Russell Myers, Daily Mirror Royal Editor.

He argued that Harry and Meghan were going to be front and centre of a new business model when Prince Charles took over.

He also pointed out that, with a slimmed down monarchy, Harry would have more say in how that new firm operated.

However, Ms. Gripper countered that the business model also means that if you marry into the family, the same thing then applies to you.

Harry was concerned for Meghan and her well-being.

She added that Kate, Duchess of Cambridge has arguably been treated like she is just a wife, mother and clothes horse when she is so much more than that.

This was not the first time Harry has been called out for needing to check his privilege.

Mr. Myers previously claimed Meghan and Harry need a dose of reality, after their interview with Oprah Winfrey in which they complained about having been financially cut off and having their UK security removed.

He pointed out that the pair were immensely wealthy individuals through Harry's enormous inheritance, plus Meghan's money from acting in Suits for seven seasons.

Especially in the midst of a pandemic, he argued that not many people would feel sympathy for such rich people complaining about money worries.

Mr. Myers acknowledged that there is actually a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes, but at the face of it, being a royal is just doing nice things and then going home.

He said, “To be honest, isn't that arguably what most people think royal life is like?

You turn up, you open the kids' centre, you shake a few hands, you might say hello.”

However, he also stated that the royals who do the job are very well briefed and do take an interest in their patronages.

Harry's hopes for the future and how compassion came to be so central to his and Meghan Markle's mantra were also discussed in the podcast.

He said it's okay if doing good makes you feel good or that there is a little bit of selfishness there.

The Duke then described how he would like to just do one good deed a day and then be able to relax.

He said, “That'd be a different world.

If we're like, you know what?

I wake up this morning.

I feel really s*****.

What am I going to do?

I'm going to go and help my neighbor and I'm going to come back and then put my feet up and have a really good day.

Yeah.”

While Harry's comment was well-intentioned, it has been called out for revealing his privilege.

Gripper pointed out that most people have responsibilities like having to go to work to earn their living that Harry seems to have forgotten about.

She said, “It sort of made me laugh and sometimes you do have to check your privilege.”

Myers went on to question Harry's claim that he has seen the business model of the royal family and wanted nothing to do with it.