Five years following Megxit, did Harry and Meghan achieve their self-rule?
Rewritten Article:
Princess Meghan, Still Under the Royal Microscope
It's been half a decade since the scandalous departure of Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, from the royal family, also known as "Megxit." Today, their footprints are no longer tangled in the British crown's affairs: Meghan, stepping into the limelight, dabbles in philanthropy, records podcasts, has penned a children's book, and her cooking show debuted in March and was immediately renewed for a second season.
However, the press and experts can't seem to shake off the "royal prism" lens as they analyze the duo's activities. While Meghan Markle was once the target of British tabloids' notorious wrath, she is now met with criticism from not only the media but also film critics and PR professionals. And "exercises in self-absorption" are merely a tip of the iceberg when it comes to the less flattering epithets they've used.
Now, Meghan Markle either shrugs off the criticism or laughs it off, sometimes taking playful jabs at the royal family and British journalists, indicating that she hasn't forgotten the past five years.
Love for Business
In April 2025, Meghan Markle launched her podcast "The Confessions of a Female Founder" - a series of interviews with successful businesswomen. The British press promptly branded it as "vacuous," "flattering," and "self-indulgent." The Guardian even went so far as to use the phrase "induces nausea" in the headline. It appears that even in a field as diverse as business, Meghan's endeavors haven't earned universal praise.
The eight-episode show "Armoire by Meghan" debuted on Netflix in March 2025.
"This is like a new chapter in my life," says Meghan Markle, surrounded by loved ones in a $950 blue dress and with a glass of champagne. "Thank you all for your love and support. Now let's get to it - it's business!".
The series, where Meghan Markle talks about her beekeeping hobby, arranges bouquets from supermarket flowers, and scents towels with lavender water, was watched in 526,000 households, according to Forbes. That's four times fewer than the 2022 Netflix documentary series "Harry and Meghan."
On the aggregator of viewer ratings Rotten Tomatoes, "Armoire by Meghan" doesn't even reach 40%, and users on IMDb rate it at 3.2 out of 10 – comparable to a box office flop.
Critics' reviews were cutting. Guardian film critic Chitra Ramaswamy wrote that she would have to "discard a lot of redundant information from her head with the same care with which Meghan arranges a salad." The Telegraph called the series "an exercise in vanity." The New York Times called Meghan "the 1980s to 2000s star of culinary shows and the Martha Stewart for millennials."
Moreover, it was soon revealed that the filming of "Meghan Markle's kitchen" did not actually take place in her own kitchen, sparking further ridicule. Meghan, defending her project, said that she simply didn't want her children's sleep to be disturbed by the 80-person film crew.
Accusations of plagiarism also surfaced: a visually similar show has been produced by Hollywood star Pamela Anderson for years.
In early April 2025, Meghan Markle launched her next big project – the website As Ever. "A collection created by Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex," its description reads.
The collection (limited in quantity) includes raspberry jam (currently out of stock), lemon-ginger tea for $12, jars of wild honey with combs (also out of stock).
However, just as the show, there were no fewer scandals around the site. First, Meghan named her brand American Riviera Orchard, but the United States Patent and Trademark Office rejected the application, arguing that companies cannot register geographical objects as trademarks. Officials pointed out that the American Riviera is often referred to as Santa Barbara in California, where the legendary 1980s series was filmed.
Then, a protest was filed by the Harry & David store, which sells food and gifts, after noticing the similarity between their concept and Meghan's. Rebranding didn't help: when American Riviera Orchard became As Ever, the municipality of Porreras on the Spanish island of Mallorca objected – they argued the emblem on the site's main page – a palm tree and two birds – is too similar to their municipal coat of arms. Although they don't have the funds to sue, they decided to make this issue public at least. Meghan Markle herself simply said in a Netflix film that she didn't like the initial name.
Her Team's Sloppy Work
Expert Doug Eldridge says, "Meghan has a lot of holes to fill, and until she does, she'll keep returning to square one with nothing to launch on the market."
Even their charitable projects have been problematic – an area where royal family members are usually proficient. For instance, in January 2025, they visited fire-ravaged areas in Los Angeles, where they hugged volunteers and chatted with officials. American actor Justin Bieber dubbed them "disaster tourists." Instead of positive PR, they faced even more accusations of inappropriate behavior.
The atmosphere around Harry and Meghan is electric, according to Vanity Fair editor Anna Pileggi in a BBC interview. She had been working on a piece about the couple for several months.
In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan openly stated that one reason they left was the toxicity of the tabloids toward Meghan, making their family life unbearable. Initial publications about Meghan joining the royal family with fresh air soon shifted to her not fitting in with the family's strict norms. Articles highlighted numerous protocol violations and accused her of trying to divert attention from Princess of Wales Kate, wife of Prince William and a public favorite.
Over the years, Meghan Markle has stopped commenting on the speculations and accusations against her. The tabloids continue to stir up rumors about topics like a possible divorce, Harry's return to the UK, and the royal family allegedly stripping them of their titles. In a Netflix project, Meghan admitted she doesn't read online messages about herself to preserve her mental health.
However, she still allows herself some irony. Both Meghan and actress Gwyneth Paltrow responded to rumors of a feud with a joint Instagram video, with Paltrow looking into the camera and saying, "I don't understand why such rumors even exist."
Then she asks, "Do you understand?" – and the camera turns to the table where Meghan Markle is sitting, eating pie, and cheerfully shrugging her shoulders.
The media has also noted her recent appearance at the Time magazine summit in a suit and watch, which is almost identical to the one Princess Diana wore shortly before her death. The press has repeatedly speculated about Meghan's alleged desire to emulate Diana, but the actress has never openly spoken about it.
In April, Meghan Markle launched her podcast "Archetypes," and in the first episode, she mentioned several times that her children, Archie and Lilibet, called "Auntie Katie" their friend Kadiddle Lee. Meanwhile, their real aunt is Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William, who was not mentioned in the podcast, a fact that was picked up by virtually all British tabloids.
The relationship between the Duchess of Sussex and the Princess of Wales has been strained, despite being cordial in public, and has practically faded away over the past five years. When the princess was diagnosed with cancer, Harry and Meghan initially made a fairly general statement to the press wishing her a speedy recovery, but they did eventually reach out to the family.
Can you Leave the Royal Family?
Amidst Meghan Markle's expanse of projects, the near absence of Prince Harry in the media space is noticeable. He continues to work on his Invictus Games project (sports competitions for wounded military personnel or those seriously ill) and attends court hearings related to his lawsuits against British tabloids due to their interference in the couple's private life.
In the "Finding Freedom" series, Harry only appears in the final episode. "He has become the backup for his wife," BBC quotes Sally Bedell Smith, author of books about the royal family. Here, the title of Prince Harry's book "Spare" is played with, referring to his secondary role in relation to other members of the royal family.
"Whatever she does to distance herself, it always brings her back to Buckingham Palace and her relationship with the royal family," says American public relations expert Evan Nierman in an interview with Daniele Relf from the BBC. This view is common among experts.
According to Mark Borkowski, head of British communications agency Borkowski, everything Meghan Markle does is "viewed through a royal lens." Even when Meghan makes jam and Harry speaks about mental health, the media coverage always comes back to the same question: are they thriving or failing in their post-royal life? This is almost a unanimous opinion among mass communication experts, both in the UK and the US. However, the tabloids continue to speculate about the prospects of the Sussexes' relationship with the royal family, while also noting any perceived unfriendly moves from the palace.
On April 27th, it was announced that Prince William appointed Jason Knauf, who was their communications secretary and wrote a letter to Prince William in 2018 accusing Meghan of mistreating staff, as CEO of the Earthshot Prize. The letter was leaked to the press, causing a massive scandal.
As of January 2025, Meghan Markle's popularity rating in the UK (according to a YouGov poll) is only 19%, down from 26% the previous year and 42% in the US.
"Of course they need to achieve commercial success (the five-year deal with the pair cost Netflix $100 million – BBC), but I think their success also depends on their charitable projects and using the attention on them for good," says royal biographer and writer Katie Nicholl in a conversation with BBC's royal editor Daniela Relph.
On May 2nd, Prince Harry lost his appeal to regain the right to state-funded security for himself and his family during their visits to the UK. In an emotional BBC interview, the Duke of Sussex accused Buckingham Palace of influencing the court and said that he doesn't see a way for his family to return to the UK, especially given his father King Charles' recent cancer diagnosis.
- The podcast "The Confessions of a Female Founder," hosted by Meghan Markle, has faced criticism from various quarters, with some calling it "vacuous," "flattering," and "self-indulgent."
- In a similar vein, Meghan's Netflix series "Armoire by Meghan" was met with unfavorable reviews, with critics terming it an "exercise in vanity" and even "inducing nausea."
- The launch of Meghan's website, As Ever, was also marred by controversies, including accusations of plagiarism and objections from Mallorca's municipality over similarities between the site's emblem and their coat of arms.
- Critics and experts often view Meghan's endeavors through a "royal lens," analyzing them for their impact on her post-royal life and her relationship with the royal family, demonstrating how the norms and expectations associated with her previous role continue to influence public perceptions.
