Meghan Markle, Prince Harry disloyal for trashing royal family, need to find their own identity: ex pal
British model and TV presenter Lizzie Cundy met the former "Suits" star in 2013, shortly before the American actress met Prince Harry. The socialite criticized the Duchess of Sussex for not choosing to attend King Charles' coronation.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will need to be careful in their business dealings if they want to make peace with the British royal family.
The claim was made by several royal experts to Fox News Digital who feared that as the couple expands their empire in California, their rift with the royal family will only deepen.
"Harry and Meghan have drifted so far out to sea as far as King Charles III and Prince William are concerned," Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," told Fox News Digital.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020. They live in California with son Prince Archie and daughter Princess Lilibet. (Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
"There is really no foreseeable way in which they’ll ever be welcomed back," Andersen claimed. "Even if Harry was to throw himself at the king’s feet and beg for forgiveness – which Harry is not about to do – the best he could hope for would be crumbs from the royal table, and the sort of grudging acceptance that is currently being afforded to Harry’s disgraced uncle, Prince Andrew."
Prince Harry's memoir, "Spare," which is still rocking the House of Windsor, was published in January 2023. (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
"If Harry and Meghan are determined to monetize their titles, then they’ll just be digging that hole deeper and deeper," Andersen continued. "But if they simply use their California-centric celebrity to build their brand and steer clear of overtly capitalizing on the Sussex name and Windsor connection – well, everybody has a right to make a living. Even then, there would still be acrimony – and zero chance of Harry getting back into the king’s and William’s good graces."
Andersen’s statement came shortly after royal correspondent Russell Myers claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex won’t be welcomed back into the royal fold if they use their titles in any way to make money.
The couple still hold the title of Duke and Duchess of Sussex despite not being working royals. (Joshua Sammer/Getty Images)
"Members from the royal family have told Harry, if he wants a relationship with the rest of the family, then first and foremost, he has got to stop talking about them," Myers claimed to Sky News Australia.
"They can’t go about making money off their associations with the royal family," Myers claimed. "They’re going to [have to] sort of realize, if they’re going to have a relationship with the rest of the royal family, they can’t go about trashing them."
Office workers in London watch the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's controversial documentary on Netflix circa December 2022. (Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images)
"Hopefully, they’ll see that the royal family are very united without them, and if they do want a relationship, going forward, they need to take the steam out of their relationship and out of the things they say sometimes," he added.
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It's been reported that Prince Harry's friendship with Nacho Figueras dates to 2007. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
The couple's pal, Nacho Figueras, recently came under fire for posting about the Duchess of Sussex's products as Kate Middleton returned to the public eye.
On Friday night, the polo player and model shared a picture of a pot of jam from Meghan's budding lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, on his Instagram stories, along with a photo of a jar of dog biscuits, according to People magazine.
While posted on Friday evening in the U.S., where Figueras appears to be based on location tags on recent posts, with the time difference, they showed up in feeds for U.K. followers in the early hours of Saturday before the Trooping the Colour ceremony.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, smiles as she travels by carriage during Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace on June 15, 2024, in London. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
The Princess of Wales had announced on Friday that she would be in attendance for the ceremony, the public celebration honoring King Charles III’s birthday, as she continues her cancer treatment.
The timing of Kate's announcement followed by Figueras' post caused outrage among viewers. However, some noted the timing could have simply been coincidental.
Doug Eldridge, celebrity branding expert and founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital it wouldn’t be surprising if the couple, who reside in the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito, used their royal titles to boost any business dealings as they continue to live independently.
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Meghan Markle starred in the legal drama "Suits" before she married Prince Harry in 2018. (Steve Wilkie/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
"If recent history is any indicator, they’re not just likely to do so, their success is almost dependent upon them doing so," Eldridge explained. "Harry and Meghan had very different paths – and levels of global popularity – prior to their… split from the royal family…. Everything they’ve done since [their royal exit]… has been off the backs of their royal connection."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 sparked outrage among many in the U.K. (Hasan Esen/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
"Can they be prohibited from monetizing their former/current royal status? Probably not," Eldridge shared. "Harry was beloved around the world. Meghan enjoyed small-scale popularity with a niche American TV-viewing audience. She burst onto the global scene during the 2018 wedding, then burst into PR flames… Taylor Swift is the only person on the planet who can make billions of dollars telling the same story about a ‘girl done wrong’ to fresh ears and open wallets. Meghan doesn’t have the sparkle."
Harry, who has a strained relationship with his family, rushed to London in February for a very brief visit after the king, 75, was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.
King Charles III, who is battling cancer, appeared at this year's Trooping the Colour. (Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)
The prince, 39, has seen his father infrequently since he quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to California with his wife, 42, citing what they said were unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. He has since detailed his rocky relationship with his family in TV interviews, a documentary and his memoir, which was published in January 2023.
Meghan Markle revealed her new venture, American Rivera Orchard, on the brand's Instagram grid. (American Riviera Orchard Instagram)
Meghan teased her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, on March 14 as the Duchess of Sussex launched a new Instagram account. There has been no formal announcement made by Markle or a spokesperson for the duchess and her husband, Prince Harry, about what exactly the new brand entails.
The duchess filed two additional trademark applications, on March 9 and March 19, that expanded the lifestyle brand into cosmetics and gardening.
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Meghan Markle teased on social media that she was launching a lifestyle label. (Clodagh Kilcoyne via Getty Images)
The March 9 application listed items like bath soaps, body creams, cosmetics, scented oils, fragrances and incense. It also listed "Non-medicated skin care preparations; Bath and shower gels and salts not for medical purposes; Non-medicated hair preparations."
The filing on March 19 broadened the brand, including "Gardening trowels; Garden weeding forks; Gardening shears; Bags specially adapted for holding gardening hand tools; Garden tool gift set, comprised of hand tools for gardening."
A representative for Meghan did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen here on their wedding day in 2018. (Aaron Chown/Getty Images)
The original trademark application for American Riviera Orchard, filed in February, included textiles, cutlery, "jellies, jams; marmalades" and assorted food spreads. It also said the brand might feature "coffee services in the nature of tableware; tea services in the nature of tableware; servingware for serving food and drinks; decanters" and other beverage wear.
"When Harry and Meghan left the royal family… they obviously didn’t realize that the success of any service or product was determined by the power of its unique selling point (USP)," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital.
"If it weren’t for his family, what would be Harry’s USP? In addition, all the adoration, respect, notoriety, social acceptance and demand accorded to any member of the royal family is based on their inherited dignity and role. He wanted neither but wanted all the former?"
Prince Harry's (left) relationship with Prince William (right), who is heir to the British throne, has been strained since the Duke of Sussex made his royal exit. (Getty Images)
"A clear majority of the public in U.K. polls have no problem with Harry and Meghan seeking a new life away from the monarchy," Fordwich continued. "But that is with the understanding, from the overwhelming majority, ‘not at the expense of we the taxpayers.’ Therefore, the king has to take public sentiment into account.
"While there are those who may speculate that cutting their security, for example, was an ego issue, it is just as much an issue of survival. Like his mother, Queen Elizabeth II before him, he is responsible for the longevity and existence of the monarchy. Providing security for wayward non-working royals has zero appeal to the taxpaying public and his subjects, whom he ultimately serves."
Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, told Fox News Digital she wondered why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven’t given up on their royal titles altogether if they’re determined to live on their terms in California.
Prince Harry attended his father's coronation ceremony in May 2023. He swiftly headed back to California. (Ben Stansall/Getty Images)
"Royal association is Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s only currency," Schofield claimed. "Harry is defiant about keeping his titles… [And] their royal titles are especially important to their American branding… Will Duchess dog biscuits sell faster than regular dog biscuits? At the end of the day, probably."
"Harry defensively asked Anderson Cooper what difference it would make to give up his title," Schofield shared. "But Harry knows it would make a significant difference to the commercial interest in him and his wife and likely a negative impact on his financial value – the value people or companies are willing to pay for access to him."
"Does he risk his relationship with the royal family by continuing to monetize his title and proximity to them? I think in a way he’s done it, most certainly."
Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz, Elizabeth Stanton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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