Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton both made headlines this week, and when you look at them side by side, you see two very different women.
The Princess of Wales, who has been battling cancer over the last year or so and has kept a mostly low profile, made a surprise visit to patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. It's the same hospital where she was treated.
She took time to thank the staff for the care she received and spent time with patients who are currently undergoing chemotherapy themselves. "The Princess wanted to make the journey to both show her gratitude to the incredible team, but also highlight the world leading care and treatment the Marsden provides," according to a spokesperson from Kensington Palace.
On the same day, she announced on Instagram that her own cancer is in remission, and that she and her husband, Prince William, would become joint patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focussed on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.
Meanwhile, across the pond here in the United States, Meghan Markle dragged her hubby Harry to the Pasadena, California area to tour the damage left by the fires. It's been alleged that she alerted the paparazzi to their location so it'd make for a great photo op, and the only actual help anyone saw the duo offer was hugging a few random people, one of whom appeared to be part of their own crew, and taking a few group pictures.
Why is Victor Gordo, @Pasadena_Mayor the mayor of Pasadena, giving tours of the Altadena damage to celebrities Harry and Meghan while homeowners aren’t even allowed into the area? This is absolutely disgraceful! pic.twitter.com/hTG4SWzRZL
— Patriota (@Patriota_81) January 12, 2025
Okay, apparently she also made a "low-key" visit to a shelter to drop off some donations — it was so low-key that all you have to do is Google her name and you'll see it splashed across numerous headlines. Oh, and she was gracious enough to postpone her upcoming "inauthentic" Netflix show's debut from January until March. What would the world do without you, Meghan?
Actress Justine Bateman best summed it up with a post on X: "Meghan Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers. What a repulsive 'photo op' they achieved. They are 'touring the damage'? Are they politicians now? They don't live here; they are tourists. Disaster Tourists."
Meghan Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers. What a repulsive "photo op" they achieved. They are "touring the damage"? Are they politicians now? They don't live here; they are tourists.
— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) January 12, 2025
Disaster Tourists. #PalisadesFire https://t.co/Kv6v6jSX4y
So, here's the thing. Love or hate the royal family, Kate has a prominent position in the United Kingdom. People there — and around the world — admire her. She married into the role and has taken it on like a champ. She performs acts of service as her "official duties," but she also seems to choose causes that are near and dear to her, like visiting the hospital where she herself was treated for cancer. And while she's probably one of the most photographed women in the world, she seems to manage to live a private day-to-day life without it making headlines.
Markle had the same exact opportunity. She spoke of wanting to be a humanitarian who solved the world's problems, and she was handed just about the biggest opportunity and platform on which to do that. She literally could have spent her days helping other people without having to worry about a job or money or anything like the rest of us do. Instead, she acted like an entitled brat and left it all behind in the name of "privacy." She just wanted to be a normal person.
That's great, but since she left the UK, she's been anything but private. She's made documentaries bashing the royal family and acting like a mean girl toward her classy sister-in-law. She's attempted to turn herself into the next Martha Stewart, or, at least, that's what it looks like she's trying to do. I don't think she has the talent or tenacity to do it. She made a half-hearted attempt at a podcast in which, as it turns out, she wasn't even actually doing the podcast. I could go on...
And she's been anything but a normal person. I mean, who just shows up to national tragedies — like the fire — and "tours the damage" like you're some sort of VIP? Bateman was right. It's like she thinks she's some kind of American royalty. Thankfully, the United States doesn't have "duchesses."
If you want to get out and do something, Megs, that's great, but really do it. Get out and volunteer. Get your hands dirty. And for goodness sake, don't invite a camera crew. You lost your chance to put your benevolence — sincere or not — on full display. At this point, you're just a former actress with a few credits under your belt who married a trust fund baby.
