Proverbs 31:10 says that a virtuous wife’s “worth is far above rubies” (NKJV).  Quite true.  These days, they’re about as rare as rubies, if not more so.

That being the case, the converse must also be true:  if a virtuous wife is worth more than rubies, then a corrupt wife will cost you everything.  In the case of Prince Henry, Duke of Sussex, it cost him the Crown Jewels.

And the family jewels as well, it seems.  Prince Harry was a manly ginger warrior-prince—a caddish gadabout with a charming British elan.  Now, by all accounts, he’s a house-trained, whipped, kept man—and “man” might be too generous.

Dozens of commentators have made the same point, so I acknowledge I’m not adding much original here.  But Harry threw away an important spot in the Royal Family in an exchange for a divorced actress from a broken home.

After being in a play myself, I have a newfound respect for actors.  But, let’s face it, it’s a gig that attracts what Z Man colorfully calls “carny folk,” basically dishonest grifters who are really good at playing pretend for a living.  It’s hard work, but that doesn’t make it honest work.

Actresses seem particularly wily and temperamental.  I once heard Gavin McInnes compare Hollywood to a town populated entirely by annoying high school theatre kids.  Now take the volatility and dramatics of an aging actress and saddle that to a prince.  It’s a recipe for disaster.

Meghan Markle’s motivation is unclear, but that’s probably because we’re normal people.  The British monarchy is an institution grounded in order and tradition; Meghan Markle is a rootless professional drifter with tenuous family ties who managed to get her hooks into a hapless Harry.

Maybe Harry could have taken a firm hand (not literally, geeze) with his wife and lifted the shiftless princess to the level of a royalty.  Hard experience suggests otherwise, as do actual events.  2 Corinthians 6:14 cautions against believers “yoking” themselves to unbelievers, because the two pull against each other.  Typically, the believer succumbs to the unbelief of his partner, rather than the other way around.

The lesson of that passage can be applied more broadly.  Prince Harry had no business marrying a Hollywood strumpet, even if she is kind of a babe.  His brother, Prince William, got it absolutely right:  he married a girl with a great deal of personal integrity and inherent royalty—a true Proverbs 31 woman, by all accounts.

The lesson should be clear for us, too, especially Christians.  Yeah, the hipster girls next door are enticing, but they will make your life miserable (no one wants to deal with all that patchouli and such anyway).  A good woman is more precious than rubies.  What makes her a princess is her integrity and faithfulness, not marrying the right ginger.

Let’s hope Prince Harry can get a handle on his marriage.  He got himself into this mess, but I still sympathize with him.  Let this be a warning to all of us to avoid floozies at all cost.