The
Duchess of Sussex upset the self-appointed guardians of traditional morality in the media who fear her progressive valuesIf the media onslaught against Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was a devious plot to transform red-blooded republicans into royal defenders, it would have been ingenious. A savvy royal family would have cultivated their newest princess, acknowledging that the long-term existence of the monarchy depends on continued support from – or at least acquiescence of – the socially progressive younger generation. Yet the first woman of colour – that we know of – to take her place in the dynasty has been hounded out: both she and her husband declared they would “step back as ‘senior’ members”, savaging the tabloids and royal correspondents as they did so. The royal whispering campaign against both that commenced as soon as Meghan first appeared has only escalated, with the Prince of Wales described as “incandescent with rage” and a “senior royal source” announcing that “this is a declaration of war on the family”.
![Meghan threatened to bring change. So she was hounded out | Owen Jones](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/4621d9beebe7896311831bb5ea0edbcfd789b661/0_330_5554_3332/master/5554.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctb3BpbmlvbnMucG5n&enable=upscale&s=65d0ca49a8b154dac8dae791101bed4a)
We live in a time of 'whitelash', when the winning of rights and freedoms by women and minorities has provoked a furious reaction