We Asked A Royal Expert Who Has Done The Most Damage To The Royal Family Image

When it comes to the British royal family, there's no shortage of drama. From the grandeur and spectacle of state events like Trooping the Colour to complicated relationships like King Edward VIII falling in love with a divorced American woman and abdicating the throne, eyes are always on the royals through all their public ups and downs. And one of the important parts of the monarchy is that "the Sovereign acts as a focus for national identity, unity and pride; [and] gives a sense of stability and continuity," according to the website for The Royal Household.

To be able to act as such, the royal family itself needs to present a united front. So, when there are fractures in the family's public image and behind-the-scenes drama spills out, that front and stability become eroded. We spoke to Brittany Provance, Editor-in-Chief of Royal News Network, about the hits the royal family's image has taken in recent years, and those inflicting the most damage are probably who you'd guess. "Royal history is full of scandals," Provance told us. "The spares usually being the source of most of the strife. ... I think the ones doing the greatest ongoing damage are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle."

Provance pointed out that when Harry and Meghan married in 2018, the queen herself gave them the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex. But it wasn't just a fancy name. The gift was given "with the understanding that they would be working royals," Provance said. However, despite knowing the royal expectations that came with said titles at the time of their wedding, Meghan and Harry's last days as senior royals came in early 2020.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, talked about some of their reasons why they left in the Netflix documentary "Harry & Meghan," but their break from being active members of the royal family haven't stopped them from, as Brittany Provance put it, "exploiting their royal titles and connections those provided to enrich themselves."

Provance noted the ways in which Harry and Meghan have made money from airing the royal family's dirty laundry as with their Netflix series and the startling revelations in Harry's book, "Spare." "It's both unbecoming and undignified," Provance said. She also pointed to some of the international events Harry and Meghan have embarked upon since leaving the royal family as examples of ways they are "cheapen[ing] the monarchy by making it look like it can be bought and then serving themselves by going on strange cosplay royal tours where they seem to get a royal welcome, but have nothing deeper to offer."

Since stepping away from their royal duties, the couple has gone abroad to help promote the Invictus Games, which Harry founded, including trips to Nigeria and Canada. They also went to Colombia in 2024 to promote the work of their Archewell Foundation. The visits did have some similarities to official royal tours.

While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might still be making headlines — particularly as Meghan expands her lifestyle brand, As Ever — they're not the only ones who have caused problems for the royal family. There's, of course, Prince Andrew, who was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in connection with Jeffrey Epstein; he was stripped of his titles and royal family patronages in early 2022. Andrew's disastrous downfall also received the Netflix treatment, though his came in the form of a biopic, as compared to a documentary, like Harry and Meghan.

Brittany Provance has some suggestions for what the royal family could do about the drama caused by Andrew, Harry, and Meghan. "The simplest thing the royals can do right now is to remove the Sussexes and Prince Andrew from the royal website," Provance explained. "They have nothing to do with the monarchy — it's perplexing why their profiles are still included." If they wanted to go even further, Provance said the royals could "strip the Sussexes and Prince Andrew of their royal titles and perhaps even places in the line of succession." She admitted King Charles III probably wouldn't go that far — but there's a chance the next king (presumably William, Prince of Wales) might.

There could also be more specific guidance in place for royal family members; if they're going to be working for the family, they have to follow certain rules. "It's good to establish firm expectations of the roles and the consequences when those expectations are not met, just like in any job," Provance noted.