Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the former senior working royals, have received a fresh backlash for their recent moves.
The California-based couple have inked several lucrative deals since their bombshell royal exit in 2020, however, they do not seem to ditch their royal like lifstyle and habits.
The couple have rewritten the rulebook with Hollywood deals, tell-all interviews and headline-grabbing moves.
“There is a huge difference between what the monarchy has to offer and what Harry and Meghan are currently doing,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital.
“This was underlined by King Charles’ highly successful state visit to the United States and Princess Catherine’s two-day visit to Italy, her first official trip in over three years,” Fitzwilliams said.
“However, in attempting to have something similar to the ‘half-in, half-out’ position within the royal family, which Queen Elizabeth rejected, the Sussexes have shown that their brand still gets huge amounts of publicity,” the expert claimed.
“What Queen Elizabeth II viewed as totally and utterly unacceptable has been adopted by the Sussexes as their modus operandi.”
On the other hand, British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed, “Each trip they make is styled to be rather like a faux royal tour as they seem to monetize almost every moment, blurring the line between being private citizens and wannabe celebrities while leveraging their royal connections.”
In the years since their exit from the royal family, the couple have made high-profile visits to Nigeria, Colombia and Australia to highlight their charitable causes. The quasi-diplomatic trips included heavily photographed appearances and meetings with officials.
Their supporters saw the trips as an extension of their humanitarian work.
Meanwhile, have blasted the “faux royal tours” as an attempt to replicate official royal engagements without the backing of the crown.
During an unannounced visit to Ukraine in April, Harry was asked about the label “not a working royal.”
In response, he said, “No, I will always be part of the royal family … I am here working and doing the things I was born to do.”
“It was nonetheless impertinent of them to go on a visit to Australia in April, which was, in all but name, a royal tour as it is one of the king’s realms,” Fitzwilliams said.
“Their mix of charitable events, including military-related appearances, also included commercial ventures, from Meghan’s wellness weekend to Harry’s speech on mental health.”
According to British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard, the Sussexes are “absolutely blurring the lines between private business and monarchy business.”
“Successful working members of the royal family work as a team, supporting the king in his many state and national duties,” she explained.
Chard went on to say that six years after their royal exit, Harry and Meghan may be “running out of options” as independent royals.
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner weighed in on, saying: “I personally have always supported Harry and Meghan and called out the double standards,” he said. “Harry and Meghan wish to exercise their right to create a harmonious image of the royal family in America. I personally would prefer to see a much wider use of Harry and Meghan’s talents because when they do, they enhance the perceived values of the royal family.”
“I personally have always supported Harry and Meghan and called out the double standards,” he continued.
He went on, “Harry and Meghan wish to exercise their right to create a harmonious image of the royal family in America. I personally would prefer to see a much wider use of Harry and Meghan’s talents because when they do, they enhance the perceived values of the royal family.”
But as Harry and Meghan continue to do things their own way, the chances of peace talks with the other royals are becoming bleaker.
2026-05-19 17:18:00
