Prince Harry slams ‘Megxit’ term as ‘misogynistic’ in misinformation discussion
Harry also spoke of the dangers of misinformation in the media
Prince Harry has proven time and again that he’s ride or die for his wife, Meghan Markle.
The beloved prince is speaking out in opposition to the term “Megxit,” which was coined by media personnel amid his and Meghan’s decision to step away from their royal duties and flee to America in search of a happier life. The decision came after years of Meghan being on the brunt of British tabloid gossip and hate, as well as internal issues within Buckingham Palace.
People Magazine reports that Harry participated in Wired magazine’s RE:WIRED virtual summit in New York City this week. While on the “Internet Lie Machine” panel discussion with Renée DiResta of the Stanford Internet Observatory and Rashad Robinson of Color of Change, Harry explained that the term is rooted in misogyny.
“The term ‘Megxit’ was or is a misogynistic term that was created by a troll, amplified by world correspondents, and it grew and grew and grew onto mainstream media. But it began with a troll,” he said, adding that he’s dealt with misinformation from the media in his own life as well.
“I felt it personally over the years, and I’m now watching it happen globally affecting everyone, not just America, literally everyone around the world,” he said. “I learned from a very early age that the incentives of publishing are not necessarily aligned with the incentives of the truth. The scale of misinformation now is terrifying. No one’s safe from it, no one is protected from it. You can’t hide from it and we continue to see lives ruined families destroyed in one single household.”
Harry says the ordeal is all too familiar for him, adding, “I know the story all too well. I lost my mother to this self-manufactured rabidness, and obviously I’m determined not to lose the mother to my children to the same thing.”
Harry and Meghan announced they were cutting ties as senior royals in January 2020. The pair sat down for a revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey where Meghan detailed battling depression, racism, and how she contemplated ending her own life due to her repeated requests for help being ignored, theGrio previously reported. Harry refused to sit idle as he witnessed his wife slip further down a dark hole, noting the parallels between Meghan’s experience and his mother’s, Princess Diana.
The former Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Oprah they felt “trapped,” in the institution.
“It’s a very trapping environment that a lot of them are stuck in,” Harry said at the time. “I was trapped, but I didn’t know I was trapped,” he said.
Harry added that the decision to leave ultimately boiled down to a lack of support from the establishment. He also noted that he felt history could repeat itself, referencing his mother’s death.
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