A Royal Reckoning Part 2: Why does Meghan get more online hate than Andrew?

The second part of our Royal Special. Yesterday we broke down the patterns in the coverage and comments. But today we ask why Meghan Markle remains the lightning rod for public fury, even when the former Prince Andrew is in absolute disgrace?

From the “Duchess of Pork”, to “Princess Pushy” and “Waity Katie” - the media loves a Royal nickname, but what does it say about what we expect from the Royal women?

Join us as we breakdown why we love a royal scandal, question whether princesses are just supposed to look pretty and shut up, and explore whether Disney is to blame. In today’s episode, we also investigate how this latest scandal has reignited the debate about what purpose the British Monarchy plays in a post-Queen 21st Century. 

 

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References:

Pod Save The King Podcast: Episode - The Prince Andrew Distraction: the unwanted gift that keeps giving.

Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York (2025). By Andrew Lownie

Carlsmith, K. M., Darley, J. M., & Robinson, P. H. (2002). Why do we punish? Deterrence and just deserts as motives for punishment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Article on Electric Literature.com - Cliff Huxtable Stole My Heart, Bill Cosby Broke It. By V.V. Ganeshananthan 

Article on The Conversation - A problematic history of obsessing over royal women’s looks, from Camilla to the ‘ugly’ Elizabeth of Austria. 

Bustle Article - The Complicated, Empowering, Messy History Behind Our Obsession With Princesses. By Lucia Peters

Ms Magazine Article - Megxit and The Death of Fairytale Romance. By Laurie Essig

BBC Article - The strange world of the Royal Family. By Hephzibah Anderson

Al Jazeera Article - Taxpayer ripoff or bargain? The cost of the British royal family. By John Power

The New Statesman Article - Abolish the monarchy. It’s more than Prince Andrew - the whole House of Windsor is rotten to the core. By Will Lloyd

Article on Debunking Myths About Fairytales.com - Myth: Fairy Tales Are Narratives About Passive Heroines. By Anne E. Duggan

Babak Ganjei on Instagram

Megan Markle podcast interview on The Jamie Kern Lima Show