By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
Like many of her other TV fans, I was heartbroken in 2018 when Meghan Markle walked out on our seven-year relationship to move to England to marry some red-haired foreigner named Harry.
But the British royal family and the British press didn’t like her as much as her American fans did so she gave up her fancy title, her job representing the queen at public events, and her fish-bowl life virtually without privacy.
She packed up baby Archie and Prince Harry and crossed the pond again, ostensibly to live in Canada but the famous duo eventually settled on an oceanside estate at Montecito near Santa Barbara, California.
In case you’re wondering, the property cost 11.2 million British pounds or $14.3 million in U. S. bucks. And they apparently picked a good neighborhood because their neighbors include Oprah Winfrey and Tom Cruise.
Both Meghan and Harry are independently wealthy and already have great offers for employment in America. My guess is that Meghan will go back to TV and/or the movies. Harry was a helicopter pilot in the RAF and, if all else fails, he could get a job flying tourists around Hollywood.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex no longer are addressed as “your royal highness” and they also gave up their salaries provided by the English government and criticized by many who no longer support the British monarchy.
I wonder if their decision to flee the United Kingdom for the United States might have been influenced by their assignment to live at Frogmore Cottage, built in 1801?
Queen Victoria gave it that name in 1875 because of an infestation of tiny frogs she described as “quite disgusting”.
Shamefully, those snooty Brits would not let her have the title of Princess Meghan because she is not of royal blood.
For the record, Harry is sixth in the line of succession to Queen Elizabeth and Little Archie is seventh. Meghan is far back at 14th in line.
But she is still No. 1 with me and her other fans. Welcome home, Meghan!
Keith Kappes can be reached at keithkappes@gmail.com