Can Meghan Markle Have An Impact (Good Or Bad) On The British Monarchy?

It’s been almost a year since Meghan Markle married Prince Harry and became the Duchess of Sussex. But even within this period of time that the former “Suits” star has been in the limelight as a member of British royalty, people can’t seem to agree on just what Meghan could be bringing into the monarchy.

For instance, there are those who wish for Meghan to be the catalyst who might help the monarchy keep up with modern times. “Her activism may allow her to reach parts of the population that her new in-laws can’t,” Emma Duncan wrote in The Economist. “She has a background and an experience of life that should help bind the royal family to its subjects, and a genuine, unfakeable passion for the causes she espouses.”

However, not everyone is convinced that the Duchess of Sussex’s activism would bring about a positive outcome. In fact, there are those who believe that Meghan’s feminist advocacy might cause some opposition within the establishment. When this happens, it’s possible that Meghan might have to tone down her advocacy, which ultimate means that her impact will be greatly diminished.

Meanwhile, some royal family fans believe that Meghan won’t have much of an impact, whether good or bad, on the monarchy at all. The reason is that she’s not married to the future king, which could mean that she’s not really in a position to make a big difference.

“Like Sarah, Duchess of York (was married to Prince Andrew), had they not divorced she’ll stay as a working Royal but with no impact in the future of the monarchy,” Jewel Fortalejo wrote on Quora. “People will not give much attention to her unless she commits mistakes that will bring shame to the Firm.”

However, some observers see the situation a bit differently than the rest and believe that Meghan is not the problem in this case. “The problem isn't Meghan Markle,” Kate Maltby wrote on CNN. “It's that royalty is an unsustainable institution in the 21st century.”

Seen in this light, there’s one way that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could profoundly impact the institution — and that is by running away from it. “If Meghan and Harry want to be truly radical, perhaps they should walk away completely,” Maltby added. “They could have no greater influence on royal life than by denouncing it.”