Brian Cox, actor and anti-monarchist, has completely changed his tune about his comments on Meghan Markle.
Last month Cox said he believes Meghan Markle knew what she was getting into with the royal family all along, but she wanted to marry a prince. His statement made headlines, simply repeating what he said.
Cox now says his words were taken out of context, and says what he really believes is that Harry and Meghan are victims of the monarchy.
That’s quite a turnaround. What prompted this change?
Here’s what Cox said in his original interview.
“I find that it’s really just so sad that we don’t acknowledge our own humanity enough. We don’t acknowledge what we’ve been through on behalf of a family — a ruling family. And that’s why, when you look at what’s happening with Meghan and Harry …you go, ‘Well, Harry, there’s an innocence about.’ And with her, too. But you can’t go into a system where somebody’s already been trained to behave in a certain kind of way and then just expect them to cut themselves off. I mean, she knew what she was getting into, and there’s an ambition there clearly as well — the childhood dreams of marrying Prince Charming and all that shit we see as fantasy that could be our lives in our dreams.”
Brian Cox, Haute Living Interview
There’s not much to take out of context. Reports simply repeated what he said.
My interpretation of what Cox said: He has empathy for Harry because he grew up in the royal system. Because she’s married to Harry, he has a little empathy for Meghan, but just a little, because he senses she knew what she was getting into. She wanted the fantasy of marrying a prince. And because Meghan knew Harry was raised in a monarchical system she shouldn’t expect him to simply pick up and leave it behind.
Did Hollywood Culture Force Cox To Backtrack?
Perhaps Cox’s opinion doesn’t align with Hollywood’s political culture so he needed to backtrack.
Cox’s anti-monarchist belief might fit Hollywood’s cultural stance, but having even the slightest negative opinion of biracial Meghan Markle doesn’t. Since Harry and Meghan left the royal family, and [falsely] accused them of racism, depending on what side of the fence you’re on, it’s not acceptable to even slightly appear that you’re siding with the UK royals. If you do, you too might be deemed racist and, accused of stepping on the wrong political side of the fence.
We live in times today where you must choose a side, especially if you’re a public figure. And the side you’re on must be clear. You’re either on the right or the left. You can’t be in the middle. You can’t have discernment about truth if that truth doesn’t align with your culture’s stance.
To Embrace Culture You Lose A Part of Yourself
So, Cox needed to clean it up. He needed to make it clear: The monarchy is bad. Harry and Meghan are good because they’re victims of the big bad monarchy. No middle ground. And no negative comments about Meghan Markle fixes everything for the sake of Cox’s work and political culture, I assume.
Whether it’s political culture, family culture, work culture, or religious culture, you can only say what fits within that culture’s posture. Or you’re no longer a part of that culture. You become an outsider.
No one wants to be pushed out of their culture, especially if it affects their paycheck or their need for belonging and a sense of value.
When you live for the culture, whatever that culture is, you abandon a part of yourself. But no one is really ever their true self when their culture dictates their opinions.
To be your true self, you must let go of the culture’s pressure to fit within its box.
I believe Brian Cox meant exactly what he said the first time.
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