Despite culture’s constant put-down on the Cinderella narrative, I’ve got to be honest with you. I love a good pauper-to-princess storyline. It could be from Disney, Hallmark, or the Bible. Give me a tiara, a castle, and I’ll be designing my ball gown in minutes.
And maybe it’s why I’m slightly obsessed inspired by the Meghan Markle and Prince Harry storyline.
Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in May of last year and became the Duchess of Sussex at the same time. I know that the United Kingdom functions politically under a Parliament and that her husband is 6th in line to ascend the throne. But let’s not stray away from the fact that the Royal Family is still Royalty. I mean, they wear tiaras. Like in the movies.
Meghan’s story hardly qualifies as a rags-to-riches feature, seeing as she was an American actress. She starred on an American legal drama series “Suits” for seven years and lived quietly but comfortably in her Canadian home.
But there is still something remarkable about Meghan’s princess acquisition. Because even though Meghan did nothing to ‘deserve’ royalty—even though she did nothing to earn extravagance—she became completely, entirely, and undeniably a Duchess.
And you know what happened? The world hated it.
Not the Bride You’d Think Of
Only months after Meghan and Harry started dating in 2016, Meghan became a “subject to a wave of abuse and harassment.” Prince Harry’s communications secretary released a statement detailing the various ways in which his girlfriend’s reputation, safety, and well-being had been put at risk.
Racists didn’t like the fact that she was a half-Black, half-White woman. Zealots spoke ugly about her divorce from several years prior. And the media published defamatory remarks on her career history and fashion choices.
Trust me when I say I would never wish for any kind of harassment upon Meghan. But in a way, I loved the controversy.
You see, Meghan wasn’t the bride the world anticipated. But to be honest with you, mate, neither are we. When I think about a partner suitable for Christ, I do not think about us. The Church is the most unlikely match for Him, and we come with enough baggage for the Pharisees to publish encyclopedias about our sins. So the world’s outrage isn’t that confusing since none of it makes any sense. We aren’t the royal ideal.
But in the same way that Meghan’s past didn’t matter to Harry, neither was our history a problem for the Father. He loved us so much and wanted us so deeply that our unworthy resume was inconsequential. And the world’s opposition became only background noise.
I mean, call me a hopeless romantic and you’ll have to call Jesus one, too.
No Longer Peasants
It’s not a surprise then that the world found more to gossip about when Meghan went through dramatic life changes. She had to move to England and leave her American communities behind. She had to quit her long-term acting career, deactivate all social media accounts, and take up the monarchy’s missions. Oh, and learn how to cross her ankles accordingly, travel with black clothing, and choose light-colored nail polish colors.
I know that to most, these life alterations appear burdensome. Extreme and self-sacrificing. She’s giving up her independent lifestyle all for the sake of a man?
Well. Yes. (scratches neck). Yes, indeed. As do we when we are received into His Royal Family. Ephesians 4 talks about this clearly. We “no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking,” (verse 17, NIV). We give up slander, drunkenness, rage, and bitterness. We’re asked to show forgiveness, to honor the Sabbath, and to live in obedience to our authority figures.
And why do we do it? Why do we sacrifice our independent pleasures and take up His principles? Why do we abandon all comfortable, cultural norms?
For the same reason that Meghan did. Because we love Him. And because royalty outweighs anything we’d experience without Him. Because tiaras outshine copper jewelry, and once you’re a princess, you don’t live like a pauper.
Featured Image by King’s Church International
