‘Megsplaining’ is a new concept, pioneered by the Duchess of Sussex. The definition of to ‘Megsplain’ is ‘to make a banal or meaningless statement in a courageous, virtuous tone’. How fluent are you in the art of Megsplaining? To find out, take this simple test …
1) Before marrying Prince Harry, Meghan Markle used her website The Tig to post ‘Megsplanations’ to her followers. One began: ‘Travel often; getting lost will help you…’ But how did it end?
a) ‘… find yourself.’
b) ‘… invest in a new satnav.’
c) ‘… lose yourself.’
d) ‘…value the emergency services.’
e) ‘… fall in love, once again, with the beautiful view.’
2) On The Tig, Meghan wrote lovingly of being ‘snuggled up in a bed with a glass of wine and her laptop’ — doing what?
a) Searching out the ‘finest scented candles’.
b) Binge-watching her TV series Suits.
c) Imbibing words of wisdom from ‘adored gurus’ including Mahatma Gandhi and Maya Angelou.
d) Playing online Scrabble.
e) ‘Staring longingly’ at Ivanka Trump’s ‘beautiful’ jewelery designs.
3. Three of these are ‘Megsplanations’ from the Duchess of Sussex, three are quotes from the Queen’s Christmas broadcasts. But which are which?
a) Continue to believe in yourselves. Believe in what makes you unique.
b) We need the kind of courage that can withstand the subtle corruption of the cynics so that we show the world that we are not afraid of the future.
c) Those who know the desert know also how quickly it can flower when the rains come.
d) Take things with a grain of salt and find balance within your life.
e) Being yourself is the prettiest thing a person can be.
f) The trouble with gloom is that it feeds upon itself, and depression causes more depression.
4) Meghan posted recipes for four of these dishes on The Tig. Which is the odd one out?
a) Pumpkin fondue.
b) Spiced broccoli and hempseed stew.
c) Glowing skin green juice.
d) Foraged gorse flower and licorice with raspberry sauce.
e) Crispy baked fish tacos with cabbage slaw.
5) What did Meghan once recommend as ‘a must-have for waking up your inner badass’?
a) A dawn dip in Lake Tahoe.
b) Blueberry kombucha.
c) The Collected Speeches of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.
d) The self-help book The Motivation Manifesto: 9 Declarations to Claim Your Personal Power, by Brendon Burchard.
e) Scented candles.
6) On The Tig, Meghan ‘reached out’ with ‘Megsplanatory’ words of encouragement. Once, she began with, ‘In case no one has told you today, you deserve endless pizza and love, and …?’ How did she complete this statement?
a) ‘…the building blocks to a lifetime of happiness.’
b) ‘…you have a nice butt.’
c) ‘…by the way, did I tell you how much you all mean to me?’
d) ‘…scented candles, available from my website.’
e) ‘… sunsets.’
7) Which of these ‘Megsplanations’ has the Duchess of Sussex described as ‘a mantra that has now ingrained itself so deeply within me that not a day goes by without hearing it chime in my head’?
a) ‘There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known.’
b) ‘There’s something you need to know.’
c) ‘You need to know that you’re enough.’
d) ‘Enough is as good as a feast.’
e) ‘She knows, you know.’
8) Team the first half of each ‘Megsplanation’ with the correct second half.
a) With fame comes opportunity but…
b) If it’s both terrifying and amazing…
c) In a society that profits from your self-doubt…
d) Of this you can be sure, you do not find the happy life…
e) If you aren’t part of the solution…
i) …liking yourself is a rebellious act.
ii) …you make it.
iii) …you’re part of the problem.
iv) …it also includes responsibility.
v) …you should definitely pursue it.
Answers:
1) a. 2) e. 3) Meghan said a, d and e. The Queen said b, c and f. 4) d. 5) d. 6) b. 7) c. 8) a-iv; b-v; c-i; d-ii; e-iii.
Craig Brown is a columnist for the Daily Mail and the author of One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time