SARAH VINE: Why, after ten years of Harry and Meghan, these TWO little-known incidents stay with me. Her mask slipped. But for all her mistakes, she’s not solely responsible for the shambles that followed
Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine reflects on the ten years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first became a couple, revisiting two little-known incidents from that period that she says have stayed with her because they revealed a moment where Meghan's public "mask" slipped. The piece is a personal opinion column marking the anniversary of their relationship, offering Vine's take on how the couple's story has unfolded and been perceived in the years since.
While Vine is critical of aspects of Meghan's conduct, she argues it would be unfair to hold Meghan solely responsible for the wider fallout and "shambles" that followed their relationship and eventual departure from royal duties, suggesting other parties and circumstances also played a significant role. The full article text was not available for a more detailed breakdown of the specific incidents referenced.
- Sarah Vine marks ten years since Harry and Meghan met
- She recalls two incidents where Meghan's "mask slipped"
- Vine says Meghan isn't solely to blame for the fallout
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those sympathetic to Meghan argue that she was a divorced, mixed-race American actress thrown into a rigid, tradition-bound institution with little training or protection, and that the tabloid press subjected her to scrutiny and hostility rarely matched even by other royal spouses. On this view, her guardedness or perceived mistakes were understandable self-preservation rather than character flaws, and the family and courtiers around her bear real responsibility for failing to shield her, leaving her and Harry little choice but to step back for their own wellbeing and their child's.
The case against
Critics who take a more sceptical view argue that Meghan entered the family as an adult who understood, or should have understood, the constraints of royal life, and that moments where her guard visibly slipped reveal a mismatch between her expectations and the institution's realities rather than pure victimhood. On this view, while the press and palace machinery undeniably made missteps, the couple's own choices in how they left and later spoke publicly about the family contributed significantly to the rupture, meaning responsibility for the outcome should be shared rather than placed solely on others.