Even for a sedentary and inactive old cove like
me, it has not been possible to escape the furore surrounding Spare, the
memoir of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, whose romantic wooing of Meghan Markle,
the US TV actress, initially entranced the nation. Sadly, the public love
affair with the couple sprung a leak when news emerged of trouble upstairs
between the Sussexes and the rest of the family but notably with The Queen,
Prince Charles (now the King), Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William (now
Prince of Wales) and his wife Catherine (popularly known as Kate). This was
blamed by some on the petulant nature of Harry and the imperious ways of
Meghan. Spare presents Harry’s version of events and his gingery visage
has frequented front pages or TV interview studios for perhaps rather too long
a time.
All-too-familiar dim Harry with “victim”
Meghan
Spare is a strong defence of Harry, notably
well-written by his ghost-writer, J R Moehringer, who had already won a
Pulitzer Prize. A seductive picture is painted of young sensitive Harry,
naturally traumatized by the sudden death of his beloved mother, Diana,
struggling to maintain his equilibrium but hounded by a feral mob of paparazzi.
He is unacademic and under-schooled but father Charles (“Pa”) and brother
William (“Willy”) are generally kind and supportive. He goes through a Hooray
Henry phase as a wayward youth until at last taking to the Army and actually
seeing active service in Afghanistan. His self-confidence rockets and he starts
his royal representative duties, not all of which he enjoys. He meets and falls
head over heels for Meghan Markle, the attractive US mixed race actress, and
after some family doubts are expressed, they marry at Windsor in princely pomp
on 20 May 2018.
I have no doubt that being a member of the
royal family comes with many problems and confusions. There are special
etiquettes surrounding most events, a certain tradition in carrying them
through properly and some awkward and edgy characters with whom to deal. Harry
was immersed from childhood in this world and ought to have made sure Meghan
was brought up to speed. Both clashed with family members and Court officials
and Spare wearily chronicles many an argument, supposed insult and tiff.
Like most readers, I am only reminded of how privileged, how luxurious and how
extravagant their lives are, compared to that of ordinary citizens. Their
whining tone of complaint and childish resentment are tone-deaf and jarring.
They decide to flee to Montecito, California, to abandon their UK duties and
disloyally to damage the monarchy as much as they can in the process of their
money-making. Harry deigns to consider attending his father’s Coronation,
provided Meghan is given a complete set of apologies from the family. Don’t
hold your breath for that, Sussexes!
Of course, Meghan herself has been largely
silent. Harry says he has material for at least another memoir and Meghan has
plenty fluency, so we will have to live with the Sussexes for some time, rather
like we live with Covid microbes, until they fade into the empty world of
forgotten café-celebrities, once pathetically inhabited by their forebears, the
Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson.
……………………………….
Friday 13 January was a red-letter day for me,
as I finally finished reading Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall Trilogy by
turning page 875 of the final third part, The Mirror & The Light,
following the decline in the fortunes of Thomas Cromwell, loyal henchman of
Henry VIII, particularly over the Dissolution of the Monasteries, culminating
in his execution in 1540. Mantel describes the Tudor Court in all its vibrancy,
brutality and colour, at this turning-point in its relations with Continental
Europe.
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Thomas
Cromwell (1485-1540)
Plus ca change, they may say, but Cromwell struggled with
great issues (not bridesmaid’s dresses) yet even the Windsors were more
civilized than the Tudors as they produced no figure as monstrous as Henry
VIII, despite our Harry’s best efforts!
While the Wolf Hall Trilogy was long,
lengthy novels are not really my thing. Over 50 years ago, I tried to read Marcel
Proust’s epic novel Remembrance of Things Past in the Scott-Moncrieff
translation. It ran to 11 paper-back volumes and I admitted defeat after volume
9. I am a painfully slow reader these days and will survive on the short and
pithy from now on. Suggestions welcome!
………………………………………..
The final literary landmark this month was the
passing of Paul Johnson, erstwhile editor of the New Statesman and
popular historian, at the age of 94. In my Leftie youth I avidly read his
magazine, supporting Wilson’s ministries in the 1960’s. Johnson was an
observant Catholic all his life and his radicalism began to turn in the 1970s
as he became a freelance writer. The trades unions’ ruthlessness during the
Grunwick closed-shop dispute of 1977 was the final straw for Johnson and he moved
steadily to the Right, to be honoured by Mrs. Thatcher and President G W Bush.
His well-researched popular histories were notable and I particularly enjoyed
his History of Christianity.
Polemicist Paul
Johnson
The contribution of Catholic writers to English
letters is quite striking. The roll of honour would include Charles Moore of The
Daily Telegraph, Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, G K Chesterton, Hilaire
Belloc, John Newman and even demonised journalist Piers Morgan. All write in a
distinctive and entertaining fashion.
SMD
18.01.23
Text Copyright © Sidney Donald 2023
