Meghan Markle and Prince Harry don't deserve a humanitarian award - it's a sham
OPINION: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle being given a humanitarian award has divided opinion - here's why.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be feeling excited today as they are ready to pick up a new award. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who quit royal life in 2020, will receive the 'Humanitarians of the Year' award at the nonprofit's World Mental Health Day Gala in New York City this Thursday.
The award is being given to Harry and Meghan as a result of their work to make the internet a safer place for families and young people through their Archewell Foundation projects, including The Parents' Network. The couple said this work has been some of the “most meaningful work” of their lives.
However, while this may be the case, many fans believe the couple don’t deserve such an award - and who can blame them?
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While Meghan and Harry do of course put time and resources into helping raise awareness of mental health and support those who have been impacted by the digital world mentally, especially families of young people who have been impacted, it could be argued that they haven’t always acted in the best way for the mental health of those around them.
Over the last five years, the couple have taken to digital screens themselves to slate the Royal Family, whether that be in their 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview or on their 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan.
The prince also used the pages of his 2023 memoir Spare to criticise family members and reveal certain information that will no doubt have impacted those he is related to.
This is something that royal fans won’t forget anytime soon.
So to receive an award for their work in the mental health sphere, specifically helping make the internet a safer place, is of course controversial.
Did they make the internet a safer place for the royals when they hurled accusations against them, which led to a stream of online criticism towards the Firm?
It is, for sure, debatable.
Regardless of what people think, the award will mean a lot to the couple, who are not set to stop their charity work anytime soon.
