The Truth Behind The Royal Wedding

Royal biographers Ingrid Seward and Penny Junor on Meghan, marriage and the monarchy

Penny Junor is a journalist and author of several royal biographies, including the controversial Charles: Victim or Villain? Ingrid Seward is Editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine – her latest book, My Husband and I: The Inside Story of 70 Years of the Royal Marriage, is available now. 

Q) Do you think Harry and Meghan’s marriage is a good thing for the Royal Family?

Penny Junor: I think it’s a very good thing. Meghan is a good reflection of society in Britain today. She’s far more relevant to ordinary people than the daughter of a British aristocrat. 

Ingrid Seward: In order to survive, the monarchy has to evolve. And it’s been pretty slow to do that – although recently, it seems to be putting on a burst of speed. I think the younger generation can relate to someone like Meghan because they see her as a glamorous actress. And if an American actress can become a princess – well, anyone can! 

Q) Was getting married in Windsor the second best option?

PJ: I think it’s much more intimate for the family. They love Windsor – the Queen spent a lot of her childhood there. It’s much nicer, as far as they’re concerned than Buckingham Palace. 

IS: I think Windsor is probably where they’d all rather be. Windsor is the Queen’s home. She loves being there, as do all the kids and the grandchildren. It’s very much the favourite home. 

Q) Meghan doesn’t shy away from talking about politics. Do you think that’s a good thing?

PJ: I think it’s fine for someone not in direct line to the throne. Charles, of course, has always been outspoken, but then he’s had a long time waiting in the wings and knows a huge amount about issues that affect us all, so I admire the way he’s spoken out. 

As for Harry and his wife, if they know their subject, I think it’s fine for them to speak out too. If Meghan is passionate about women’s rights, and racism, that’s not a problem. 

IS: I personally think the Royal Family should not be political. They’re above politics, you see. It doesn’t take much for people to be irritated by them. If you think back to the fire at Windsor, the public really turned against the monarchy because they thought: ‘Why should we pay for that?’

I also think that they shouldn’t take a stance on anything too controversial, as the British people don’t like being told what to do. Not so much when it’s someone like the Prince of Wales, because they know he’s dedicated his entire life of duty to making the world a better place. So when he steps up to the line and is outspoken, people don’t mind. 

Somebody like Meghan, however, coming into the family and then making proclamations about her views, it will not go down well. Of course, there will always be people who say: ‘Oh, it’s great how she opens them up.’ In general, though, I know that over the years the monarchy has learnt that it’s better to let other people speak out.

Q) Will the couple have much privacy?

PJ: It’s inevitable that they’ll have more freedom than William and Kate. There is much less pressure on Harry. He’s been able to fall off the straight and narrow every now and again, and if anything that’s endeared him to people. There’s no doubt that Harry and Meghan together are superstars – William and Kate aren’t very outgoing; they haven’t got that charisma. 

So there’s a danger of Harry and Meghan overshadowing William and Kate. The cameras might be more inclined to follow them because they’re more fun. So it would make very good sense for them to do most of their work abroad. There are 53 countries that all regard the Royal Family as part of their fabric, and it would be very good for Britain – and for the monarchy – to make them all feel included and loved.

IS: I really hope that Harry and Meghan do have some privacy. They’ll have their place within Kensington Palace, and I’m sure they’ll look for somewhere in the country too if they haven’t already – Harry is a country boy at heart. It’ll give them a lot more freedom. 

And I think they’ll travel a lot, taking a larger role within the Commonwealth. Harry is such a vivacious person and he feels that he could do a lot of good.

Q) What’s it like to marry into the Royal Family?

IS: We never really discover. Diana and Fergie always said that there was no one much to help them. But I think that, once you enter the Royal Family, your life isn’t your own any more. It’s the nature of the institution.

Q) How do you think the Royal Family will change when William is King?

PJ: I suspect that it’ll be a smaller working unit – a much tighter organisation. I think William is very much modelling himself on the Queen – he’ll be a modern manifestation of her. He absolutely guards his private life, as does she – we have no idea what the Queen thinks about anything, other than that she loves dogs and horses. 

Nor do we really know much about her personality, whereas we knew a great deal about Diana and we know quite a lot about Charles. But I think William sees the wisdom of not letting the media in on your private life at all; of presenting a public face and retaining another life behind that. 

Q) Have you seen The Crown?

PJ: Yes, I loved it. The only thing I’d say about The Crown is that there’s a real danger of people starting to view it as history. In that regard, it does come with a real health warning! It is a fictionalized account, although I’m sure that a lot of it is very, very close to the truth.

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