Intense media scrutiny of Meghan Markle害羞草研究所檚 extended family has left a sour taste for many Canadian tourists and expats observing wall-to-wall coverage of the impending royal wedding.
The voracious appetite for tidbits on the upcoming nuptials came as a shock to British Columbia tourists Karen and Bill Chandler, who say they were blindsided by reporters during a tour of Windsor Castle on Wednesday.
Rather than recounting the grand splendour of the historic home to more than 900 years of royals, the couple害羞草研究所檚 biggest memory was of journalists and camera crews preparing to cover Saturday害羞草研究所檚 nuptials.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 crazy up there, it害羞草研究所檚 just crazy,害羞草研究所� Bill Chandler exclaimed Thursday after visiting the historic town where Prince Harry will wed Markle, about an hour and a half from London by car.
害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e right in your face.害羞草研究所�
The retirees didn害羞草研究所檛 expect their weeklong whirlwind through London to include a glimpse into the media circus surrounding the much-hyped union of Prince Harry and his California fiancee, but it害羞草研究所檚 a unique memory they will take back with them to Victoria on Sunday.
It害羞草研究所檚 certainly given Karen Chandler a much more sombre view of what could be in store for Markle once she officially joins the royal family.
害羞草研究所淛ust wandering through the castle I was thinking about how the press had affected Diana害羞草研究所檚 life 害羞草研究所� they ruined it,害羞草研究所� she says.
害羞草研究所淛ust the hounding. (But) I believe she probably is better equipped than Diana was, much better equipped.害羞草研究所�
A palpable backlash against unflattering stories about Markle害羞草研究所檚 family history 害羞草研究所� and in particular her 73-year-old father Thomas Markle 害羞草研究所� appeared to take root Thursday as the bride announced he will not walk her down the aisle as planned.
害羞草研究所淚 have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health,害羞草研究所� Markle said in a statement released by Kensington Palace.
The elder Markle is said to be recovering from an operation to clear blocked arteries after suffering a heart attack last week.
It was the latest turn in a gossip-fuelled saga that turned sadly dark in recent days. Of late, Thomas Markle has been mired in scandal over photographs of wedding preparations that were reportedly staged.
At least one outlet appeared to step back from mining estranged family members for dirt Thursday, with 害羞草研究所淕ood Morning Britain害羞草研究所� reportedly dropping Markle害羞草研究所檚 sister-in-law Tracy Dooley from their wedding coverage.
The morning TV show was widely reported to have hired Dooley and her kids as TV correspondents for its rolling coverage of the ceremony, despite the fact they were not invited and were believed to have had little contact, if at all, with Markle.
And on Tuesday, the same TV show featured a blistering attack on half-sister Samantha Markle, when Piers Morgan accused Markle害羞草研究所檚 half-sister of being a media 害羞草研究所渧ulture.害羞草研究所�
History student Clarissa Fehr of Leamington, Ont., says she害羞草研究所檚 been turned off by relentless gossip coverage of the 害羞草研究所淪uits害羞草研究所� actress 害羞草研究所� a successful biracial, divorced American who is challenging royal traditions on many levels.
害羞草研究所淎 lot of it just terrorizes her character,害羞草研究所� the 22-year-old exchange student says of the coverage she害羞草研究所檚 observed.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 all about her history and what she did to be successful, but then in reality it害羞草研究所檚 kind of what everyone has to do to be successful.害羞草研究所澓π卟菅芯克鶞
Fellow exchange student Lauren Johnston agreed, also invoking the tragic death of the late Princess of Wales, who died in a Paris car crash in August 1997.
害羞草研究所淚 feel like the Meghan situation can turn into a Diana situation,害羞草研究所� says the 19-year-old Johnston, studying media and communications on an exchange with her school in Abbotsford, B.C.
害羞草研究所淲e saw what Princess Diana had to go through back when she got married and all the health problems that she had, which is unfortunate.害羞草研究所�
Canadian-born academic Susan Rudy points to a seeming preoccupation with socio-economic class in the British media, detecting an underlying narrative in which Markle is cast as a woman escaping a dark history.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a sad story and she害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所榚scaped害羞草研究所� that, that害羞草研究所檚 part of the class story 害羞草研究所� that if you escape that, that害羞草研究所檚 to be applauded, instead of: What would you lose if you lose contact with a particular group like a class-based group?害羞草研究所� says the London, Ont.-born Rudy, who moved to London in 2011.
However, not all British media is like that, she害羞草研究所檚 quick to add.
害羞草研究所淭he thing I like about Britain is that there害羞草研究所檚 an educated press here 害羞草研究所� the Guardian, particularly, a person can count on for actual information and facts,害羞草研究所� says Rudy, a senior research fellow in the English department at Queen Mary University of London
Still, there appears to be ravenous demand for salacious stories, notes Johnston, an aspiring journalist.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e looked online at job opportunities here versus Vancouver 害羞草研究所� and print journalism and newspapers here are really prominent, which I think differs from Canada, as well,害羞草研究所� she says.
害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e printing newspapers every day so they just need content constantly.害羞草研究所�
Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press
