The media is in a complete frenzy as Suits actress, and new royal Meghan Markle was seen in Al-manaar mosque recently. Prince Harry’s new fiance was allegedly moved to tears after four visits to the West London mosque, to speak to the families who survived the Grenfell tower incident 8 months ago.

Two Minds

I am in two minds about it, the first one, and the more shallow mind, I must admit, is that my mild Suits addiction was justified, and my mild fandom satisfied when I heard news that Meghan Markle actually lives up to her role, Rachel the para-legal in the big corporate New York office, with a heart of gold, who is in love with a fraudster, that claims to be so for the greater good of mankind. The obsession with her, fans will relay, is shrouded in

her presence on the show being a familiar crack in the corporate world that we can identify with. A little bit of light in a large grey concrete building of corruption. Perhaps we could mirror this slightly with, dare I say, the Royal Family?

We find generations of men in the royal family turn to a softer alternative, to a usually more suitable and establishment-friendly choice of wife. Prince Charles, William, and now Harry have lived to defy the conventions of the cold institution they grew up in by falling in love with women who endeavour to champion human rights. Anyway, like all media outlets, who may discuss what she was wearing, relationship status, I digress.

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It Makes Me Uncomfortable

Our focus should be on the radio silence from the collective royal family since the horror in June. It feels a little uncomfortable that:

1) We sensationalise the support of the survivors from either Harry visiting last September, or a new addition of the royal family (not even a direct descendant of the bloodline, so basically not really the royal family) because she is a celebrity? Is beautiful? We kind of subconsciously or consciously enjoy that Harry lived his life completely outside of a crown shaped box, as Meghan is a human we can, to a degree, identify with?

2) Community members and teams: NZF (National Zakat Foundation, GMRU (Grenfell Muslim Response Unit), Al Manaar Mosque and community centre, Nottinghill Methodist church, and community volunteers, are amongst the many behind the scenes, that have been working around the clock, with caseworkers on call, since the incident happened in June. To ensure each family is housed, given their papers, rights, clothing, and food, attending council meetings, meetings with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, taking the case further and keeping it in the spotlight. This is all grassroots work, for some, minimum wage and genuine care for humanity is all they are equipped with, alongside the emotional ramifications of very heavy work. The trauma of experiencing the fire in their minds, being replayed over and over with every funeral they attended, over 40, by the way, is what they do and will carry. They instantly became a direct port of call and aid to the survivors to ensure they always had the option to find support during any part of the day or night. Our respect goes out to the teams, and community members for this!

A source close to NZF and GMRU told me, “Meghans visits show that there is support for the families, and this is what will keep them going, as they approach a new year without their loved ones. Our priority and concern is the bereaved families and survivors, and ensuring Grenfell remains spoken about.”

Why I am uncomfortable with both sides of the coin, and the two minds I am in, is due to the fact that, our culture ratifies the sensationalism of global causes, due to the public figure that will give more weight and legitimacy to that cause, than it normally would receive.

We also must watch as community members are not given the same attention, validation, and support that a celebrity might, that they are more than deserving of. This new turn of events may shed light on the minimum wage available for humanitarian work. I can also admit that to sit here and criticise a woman who has gone out of her way, to do something good, in any capacity, that breaks free from the chains of the establishment she has chosen to marry into (sans William, Kate, Harry and sometimes Charles) that should really be celebrated, is wrong of me. I respect that she at least tried to keep the visits private, and yet her platform was used in a positive way to raise awareness about Grenfell, without even initially intending to. I still love Meghan Markle by the way, if you see this Meghan, I  love you. Perhaps this move, will propel Grenfell back into the forefront of our collective consciousness and keep the story trending to ensure there is accountability for such a stark disparity of wealth in London. A city one community activist coined as a, “a third world city.”  I pray that a greater sense of justice is served for survivors, and a push for better housing conditions for those living in council estates or left homeless, and a little more sensitivity to the actual champions behind the scenes who never seek validation for their work.