Eight years after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot in a fairy-tale Windsor wedding, they are still doing things their way.
Since their bombshell royal exit in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have rewritten the rulebook with Hollywood deals, tell-all interviews and headline-grabbing moves, reportedly drawing growing concern from palace aides and senior royals.
“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 , 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.”
“What viewed as totally and utterly unacceptable has been adopted by the Sussexes as their modus operandi, blurring the line between being private citizens and wannabe celebrities while leveraging their royal connections,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital. “Each trip they make is styled to be rather like a faux royal tour as they seem to monetize almost every moment.”
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The battle lines were drawn in January 2020 at the late queen’s now-infamous “Sandringham Summit,” where the Sussexes were handed a royal reality check.
The reigning monarch made it clear there would be no “half-in, half-out” arrangement â meaning the couple could not cash in on private ventures while still carrying out duties as senior working royals.
The late queen later doubled down publicly, declaring it was “not possible” for the couple to continue “a life of public service” outside the confines of the monarchy. But Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, publicly said: “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
In March 2020, the couple , citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. Since settling in the wealthy coastal city of Montecito, the pair have aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. Harrys 2023 memoir, “Spare,” which detailed deeply personal revelations about the House of Windsor, further strained his relationship with his family.
In the years since, 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.Â
While supporters saw the trips as an extension of their humanitarian work, critics â especially in royal circles â have blasted the “faux royal tours” as an attempt to replicate official royal engagements without the backing of the crown.
During an unannounced 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 kings realms,” Fitzwilliams said. “Their mix of charitable events, including military-related appearances, also included commercial ventures, from Meghans wellness weekend to Harrys speech on mental health.”
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital she believes the Duke and Duchess of Sussex 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 hi
