ROYALLY DIVIDED

Laura & Teuila on the Sussexes’ split

WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THE ROYAL SPLIT?

Upon polling Weekly readers, we found quite a division – between those who are very disappointed in the way that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stepped back from the royal family, and those who are cheering them on for forging their own paths. Everyone has their own view on the matter and many are very passionate about it, as we discovered was certainly the case for two of our local stars who are avid royal watchers! Here, The Hits’ Laura McGoldrick and actress Teuila Blakely give their opinions on the split.

LAURA McGOLDRICK

Let me just start by telling you I am a huge royalist.

In fact, I have taken on the unofficial role of royal expert on The Hits. I love them, their traditions, the fact that they are a tradition in my family – my nana loved them and so does my mum! But this latest move from Harry and Meghan has left me pretty cold.

I was a massive fan of Diana, Princess of Wales. I have grown to like Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, over the years. And of course I grew up loving Prince William and (the artist formerly known as) Prince Harry.

I believe William, his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Harry are single-handedly responsible for keeping the royal family current, popular and as down-to-earth as you can get when your family home is Buckingham Palace.

I too got swept up in Harry and Meghan mania when they came to Auckland in 2018, waiting for hours to meet them.

I thought it was so lovely when the second son of Diana found the woman he wanted to share his life with. What a great opportunity for Meghan to join Harry, William and Kate to make change, do good and be a part of something as prestigious as the royal family.

Surely no-one more than Meghan knew what she was marrying in to. She had to.