The story seems straight out of a fairytale: a commoner who took an uncommon path from California to the Court of St. James. Most know her as Meghan Markle, an American princess. Another, more important title awaits her: Minister of Modernity.
She arrives to a United Kingdom that is less united than at any point in recent history. The country could really use her leadership to make Britain great again. Markle may not attend cabinet meetings, yet her portfolio will be more robust than many who do.
Some see the new princess as an ambassador, much in the mold of fellow royals. Her task will be far greater than the traditional duties. It falls on her shoulders to mold and then model a new, more modern brand for the monarchy and the nation they represent. Much like a minister, she will have the power to set a new agenda and mobilize government resources behind that vision.
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Not since Princess Diana has the British monarchy had the capability to deploy such a common touch. In some ways, not being British gives Markle even greater appeal and freedom of movement. She will be less encumbered by the traditional customs and constraints that often accompany the country’s circumspect culture.
Reaching out to foreign audiences and even diverse domestic ones will come a lot easier to her than any other member of the royal family.
Dispensing with tradition will not be easy. Just ask Patrick Jephson. He served as Princess Diana’s only chief of staff and just came out with a book on Markle etitled, “The Meghan Factor.” When it comes to the challenges of changing such structured roles, Jephson says Markle will need to first demonstrate to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that she is “a stable and dependable” representative for her adopted country. Should she prove herself, he believes Markle will then be “accepted, recognized, valued as a weapon by the FCO, so she is then sent around the world to power to promote British interests with a soft delivery.”
Markle’s Moment
A lot of attention is being paid to the attention the new princess is attracting. There is enormous pressure on her from the press, and an even greater weight than that from the flashes of persistent paparazzi sits on her shoulders.
Her new kingdom needs more than a positive photo-op. “Markle is entering the Royal Family at a crucial period in British history,” a royal expert commented recently to me.
Despite the struggles, Jephson believes Princess Diana’s greatest legacy was her use of soft power. In many ways those were easier times for Great Britain. Then, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was at the pinnacle of her power and the alliance with President Ronald Reagan an exceptionally strong one.
The same can’t quite be said for Prime Minister Theresa May, who continues to struggle at home and abroad. Many of those struggles stem from Brexit, which threatens to significantly diminish the country’s global influence. Exacerbating the situation is global perception of U.S. President Donald Trump and the erosion of London’s stature on the world stage. Being the United States‘ closest ally doesn’t mean what it once did.
Enter a Shining Star
Markle “is seen as a successful, strong woman with the ability to reach out across boundaries of race and class. For the first time, non-white people see someone like them entering the most exalted family in the land and being accepted,” says Margaret Holder, one of the preeminent royal observers for three decades. “You can’t put a price on that in terms of making the monarchy modern and relevant.”
Markle’s contribution to crown and country may indeed be priceless. They will also require an extraordinary amount of personal strength and sophisticated structural strategy. Pushing for change from the outside is very different than effecting and implementing it from within, especially when it comes to a tradition-bound institution like the palace.
Markle can and must break some royal china. She must not lose her willingness to be an outspoken advocate. But, she will need to be savvy and masterfully methodical in her approach.
Markle must rise above her role. She cannot let others define her agenda. She is not just a royal. She is more than a public face. Her task is to become one of the most effective public servants in the British government.
To do so, she must lay out a bold vision of her work and the goals to which a new, modern Britain can and should aspire.
Once Markle defines the contours of her agenda, the next step will be rallying support behind it. This will be less of a challenge, thanks to the bright lights that follow her every move. She can and should sustain the glare on her goals, until they are adequately resourced and addressed.
Preserving the Palace
In her position, she will have the ability to convene almost anyone. From government to business leaders, innovators to the most influential voices on the planet. Deployed in the right way, there is little she cannot accomplish.
The new British princess shares a number of similarities with another American actress-turned-European royalty. Both gave up acting. Both had a strong philanthropic focus. Indeed, Grace Kelly helped to transform the brand and global influence of Monaco, elevating it on the international stage and adorning it with a more-appealing public image. So, too, can Princess Meghan smooth over some of less savory aspects of Brexit, such as the appearance of having anti-immigrant and isolationist undercurrents.
Many inside Great Britain and beyond question the compatibility of the monarchy with modernity. Markle has a unique opportunity, in an hour of need, to show its contemporary purpose and power. If she takes up the challenge, it will not just save the royal family from being cast off into the dustbin of history. This American princess may well be able to restore and reinvigorate the British brand, along with preserving its outsized international influence, for decades to come.
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The Royal Wedding: A Commoner?s Touch May Rescue Buckingham Palace originally appeared on usnews.com
