The Scandals And Controversies That Tarnished Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's Reputation

Ever look at Prince Harry's situation and think you've seen something similar happen before? Harry's experiences seem to mirror those of the former King Edward VIII. Both of them got married to older American women who were previously divorced. They even met their wives in a similar manner: through common friends. And, the dukes famously distanced themselves from the royal family in some capacity. Not to mention, a lot of scandals and controversies swarmed both couples, eventually tarnishing their reputations.

Where Edward had to pick between duty and love, members of the royal family seemed pretty supportive of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. For example, King Charles walked Meghan down the aisle. Even the late queen chipped in. She did so by hosting a lunch reception for them. Under the surface, though, there apparently was some trouble brewing. The royals' body language at Harry and Meghan's wedding was pretty telling. National reporter Dahleen Glanton noted (via Chicago Tribune) that "Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip were stone-faced and many of the other guests were simply stunned" during the ceremony. In "The Royal Butler," Charles's previous butler, Grant Harrold, revealed (via Fox News), "When Prince Philip came out [of the chapel], he turned to the Queen and said, 'Thank f*** that's over.'" This is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Without further ado, let's look at some scandals and controversies that tarnished Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's reputation.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced via Instagram that they intended to "step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family," the news wasn't particularly taken in stride by the British media. Not by a big majority, anyway. Journalist Sarah Vine said that the Sussexes "hardly had a chance to understand what the job really entails before handing in their resignation," and explained that she thinks that they didn't even try to make it work (via Jersey Evening Post). Journalist Piers Morgan famously isn't too fond of the couple, and he hasn't shied away from making his feelings known about the same on many occasions. He called Meghan and Harry "the two most spoilt brats in history" and asked the Queen to go ahead and "fire Their Royal Hustlers" (via ABC News).

Stepping back was a pretty pot-stirring decision itself. However, the controversy doesn't just stop there. They allegedly didn't even give the senior royals a heads-up about their move, as per royal correspondent Jonny Dymond of BBC News. His X statement said that the "palace is understood to be 'disappointed.'" Other royal commentators and journalists criticized the couple for this. Journalist Rachael Bletchly said (via The Irish Times), "Harry has selfishly turned his back on the institution she [the queen] has fought to modernise and secure for him and his children." She added, "And he didn't even have the guts or decency to tell her, or his own father, of the bombshell he was about to drop in their laps."

If comments from former staff members are in fact true, it doesn't really put Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in a good light. Princess Diana's butler, Paul Burrell, told Sky News, "I know how petulant he [Harry] can be and how spoiled he is, because I've experienced that myself." Speaking about Meghan Markle, he said, "I've never met Meghan myself, but how can so many other people be wrong? It's not possible."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's ex-staffers were reportedly left shaken by alleged bullying. So much so that there are staff members who have allegedly even started therapy, and some claimed to experience mild Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Royal editor Rebecca English claimed (via Daily Mail) that she had "personally witnessed more than one member of staff driven to tears by the treatment they were subjected to by the Duke and Duchess." She also shared that a source allegedly explained that while Harry and Meghan are said to be bullied and pushed out, there were people who were "experiencing that very treatment at their [Harry and Meghan's] hands!"

A good measure of problematic issues at the workplace is often high turnover. The Sussexes tick this box as well. "If they've lost 18 people, which doesn't actually surprise me. I think it's definitely their fault," royal historian Hugo Vickers shared (via The Royal Observer). A previous royal aide, Samantha Cohen, even told the Herald Sun (via New York Post) that she had to stay longer with the Sussexes because they couldn't find someone to replace her, and when they did, the person quit on their Africa tour.

After the Sussexes stepped back from senior royal duties, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lost certain privileges that came with their position. One of which was automatic taxpayer-funded security. Instead, protection during his visits to the United Kingdom would be decided on a case-by-case basis. After challenging the decision through legal action, Harry faced a massive legal bill in a lost battle over private security. He has also made public comments, voicing his views on the matter. During an interview (via The Sun), Harry said, "The other side have won in keeping me unsafe. I can't see a world in which I will be bringing my wife [Meghan Markle] and children back at this point."

Many royal commentators don't really agree with Prince Harry's position. This includes LBC presenter Ali Miraj, who claimed to actually like Prince Harry. He questioned why Harry should get the same benefits as Prince William and King Charles, even though "he's no longer a serving, active member of the royal family." Miraj even said, "I find it a little bit self-indulgent, bordering on narcissistic, frankly ... to be expecting the UK taxpayer to pick up the bill." Royal commentator Adam Brooks shared his thoughts on Harry's battle for security with GB News. He said, "They [Harry and Meghan] tarnished the reputation of the Royal Family around the world, and he can rot outside it. He doesn't deserve any security, in my opinion."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared a lot of stunning details during their Oprah interview. Meghan said that they got married privately three days before the public ceremony, with the Archbishop of Canterbury present. However, the archbishop pretty much contradicted Meghan by saying (via The Guardian), "The legal wedding was on the Saturday. I signed the wedding certificate, which is a legal document, and I would have committed a serious criminal offence if I signed it knowing it was false."

Meghan also claimed that she didn't know a lot about the royals growing up (via The Sun). Meanwhile, critics pointed out that she wrote about the royal family on her lifestyle website, The Tig, back in the day. Her friend Ninaki Priddy allegedly even told interviewers (via Daily Mail), "Meghan was always fascinated by the Royal Family. She wants to be Princess Diana 2.0." A different friend's mom told Daily Mail that she had given Meghan Princess Diana's biography and that she used to watch the video of Diana's wedding to Prince Charles with her daughter [Meghan's friend] and Meghan.

Additionally, Meghan said (via Business Insider) that during her pregnancy, some royals had "concerns and conversations about how dark his [her son's] skin might be when he's born." Prince Harry denied the racism allegation a year later. During an ITV interview, when he was asked about the racism claim, he said, "The British press said that, right? Did Meghan ever mention 'they're racists?'" He also said that he wouldn't call the incident racist, but saw it as an unconscious bias.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Oprah Winfrey interview turned out to be a bombshell in itself. But the timing of it all was concerning, too. Prince Philip reportedly had heart surgery and was still recovering when the interview was set to come out. Many people wanted Harry and Meghan to delay the interview because of this. However, insiders close to the Sussexes told the Daily Mail, "As it stands, I don't think there is any intention from the programme maker to change its air date."

This didn't sit right with a lot of people, including Parliament Member Bob Blackman, who called the interview inappropriate and voiced his concerns to the Daily Mail. He said, "To be doing a tell-all interview screened in the UK when he [Prince Philip] is in hospital ... they are badly advised to put it mildly." During an interview with The Sun, Queen Elizabeth II's former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, said, "Harry and Meghan sat down, even while Prince Philip was still in hospital, meeting his end. They sat down to do this interview, and it was broadcast ... a few weeks before he actually passed away. ... Bad timing ... with no concern at all for the family."

Even before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, drama jumped right into the front seat with the couple. During the Oprah interview, Meghan explained the flower girl dress incident that took place before the wedding. From her perspective, anyway. She said (via NDTV), "A few days before the wedding, she [Princess Catherine] was upset about ... flower girl dresses, and it made me cry, and it really hurt my feelings." Harry went on to share details about the text messages between Meghan and Princess Catherine in his memoir "Spare." The messages show (via NDTV) his version of what happened, where Catherine tells Meghan that Princess Charlotte's flower girl dress is "too big, too long, too baggy," and that the little girl cried after trying the dress on. Catherine explained that the "dresses need to be remade," but Meghan insisted that Catherine take Charlotte to the tailor, who had been waiting for her.

Catherine didn't personally respond to Meghan's version of the story. However, royal expert Katie Nicholl told Ok! Magazine that "Kate felt it was all sorted, so to have it brought up again was mortifying. Kate is not in a position to respond and Meghan and Harry know that." During a discussion about Prince Harry's "Spare" on GBNews, Candace Owens spoke about Princess Catherine and Meghan's feud. She said, "The ugliest part is that he [Harry] included his niece Charlotte. She's crying over a bridesmaid dress. It's so remarkably petty, and the idea that you would use a toddler for book fodder." She added, "How could you ever do that to a little girl, to put that into a book, something so personal and perfectly normal?"

Queen Elizabeth II allegedly wasn't on good terms with the Sussexes before she died. The truth about Prince Harry's relationship with Queen Elizabeth II is particularly crushing because Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry had a tight bond in the past. In his book "Our King," royal commentator Robert Jobson revealed (via The Mercury News) that the queen wasn't very happy with the duke and duchess's decision to step back as senior members. He claimed that she also thought Harry's feelings for his wife "clouded his judgement." She was also said to be frustrated and angry that Harry and Meghan had not only used her childhood nickname for their daughter's name, but they even claimed that she was okay with it. Per the Economic Times, an insider allegedly told royal biographer Robert Hardman that Queen Elizabeth said, "I don't own the palaces, I don't own the paintings, the only thing I own is my name. And now they've taken that."

The fact that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry aired their complaints against the royals allegedly didn't win them any brownie points with her either. In his book, Jobson also shared (via The Mercury News), "Harry and Meghan had started publicly criticizing both the monarchy and members of the royal family. At that point, the queen was frankly mystified by the couple's behavior, describing it as 'quite mad.'" An insider close to the queen even told The Telegraph (via The Daily Beast) that "she had lost Prince Philip, and then the constant ambushing of the Royal family by a much-loved grandson did take its toll."

Commentators and critics have criticized Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for using their royal titles after stepping back from senior royal duties. The Sussexes have used their titles on a holiday card and on foreign tours, and even launched Sussex.com, which says, "The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan, The Duke & Duchess of Sussex." Royal commentator Angela Levin told The Sun (via The Standard), "They should be stopped from using a title that they spent years insulting." A different critic said (via The News International), "They're not part of the RF yet they use their titles and announce trips. This is getting ridiculous."

The Sussexes are also accused of monetizing their royal links. Sarah Vine explained (via Daily Mail) that it doesn't look like Harry and Meghan care about the royal family being a "much-loved institution." She said, "To them it's just a cash cow." Royal correspondent Russell Myers, on the other hand, told Sky News Australia that Harry and Meghan should understand that if they wish to "have a relationship with the Royal Family, they 'can't go about trashing them.'" He added, "They can't go about making money off their associations with the Royal Family."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's documentary "Harry & Meghan" was a success in terms of its viewership. When it came to its reception, though, not so much. This is especially true with the British media. Journalist Alexander Larman (via The Spectator) described the docuseries as a "tedious, narcissistic wallow." Royal reporter Kate Mansey shared her thoughts about the docuseries, claiming (via Mint) that even though it was an interesting show, it damaged Harry and Meghan's reputation: "I can't see how it's benefitted them in the long term at all."

One moment from the documentary that stood out in particular was when Meghan dramatically re-enacted her curtsy to Queen Elizabeth II. She goes, "Pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty." While this is happening, Harry is said to be looking uncomfortable with the display. During a discussion about this with Today, royal editor Roya Nikkhah said, "It's sort of being interpreted here as slightly disrespectful." A critic tweeted (via Today), "Is that meant to be funny? Gosh the lack of respect." Another critic said, "This is just nasty and unbecoming. Meghan looks like a school bully."

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they were stepping back as senior royals on Instagram, they also said that they intended to "work to become financially independent." As such, the Sussexes started a new chapter in their lives wherein they collaborated with big names like Netflix and Spotify. While Meghan and Harry's documentary "Harry & Meghan" and Harry's memoir "Spare" did quite well, some of their other projects didn't go the distance.

Harry and Meghan's Spotify deal was terminated early, and the reason behind that is said to be less output. Like that wasn't bad enough, the executive of Spotify even called (via Daily Mail) the Sussexes "f***ing grifters." He added, "That's the podcast we should have launched with them." That's not even half the hard luck the two of them have had. Meghan's animated Netflix series "Pearl" was cancelled, her cooking show "With Love, Meghan" allegedly isn't coming back for a third season, and the Sussexes' documentary "Polo" didn't generate much buzz. A source told In Touch that Harry and Meghan were frustrated about the fact that their polo documentary wasn't able to generate a lot of enthusiasm.

Speaking about Harry and Meghan's failed Netflix and Spotify projects, commentator Beebs Kelley said, "These two very high-profile failures at major platforms will make it harder to secure similar multimillion-dollar deals with other streamers like Apple TV or Amazon ... or, you know any of the plethora other ones cropping up."

After leaving an event in New York City, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's spokesperson explained that the Sussexes were chased by "a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi. ... lasting over two hours." However, some commentators, authorities, and witnesses have challenged Harry and Meghan's car chase claims. Sukhcharn Singh, who claimed to drive them during this incident, said, "I don't think I would call it a chase," explaining how he didn't feel like he was in a dangerous situation (via The Washington Post). Meanwhile, during a conference, New York City mayor Eric Adams said, "I would find it hard to believe that there was a two-hour high speed chase" in New York (via The New York Times).

Commentator Megyn Kelly questioned (via Sky News Australia) the two-hour chase claim and said, "They're exaggerating because they like being in the public eye." She also said that Harry is "trying to make her [Meghan] into Diana from the moment they started dating." Kelly went on to explain that back when Harry and Meghan were dating, a few media people were tailing Meghan, and Harry said he wouldn't let his mother's tragedy repeat itself with her. Kelly added, "That's not what's happening. Welcome to being a public figure. Grow up." 

That said, Harry and Meghan's spokesperson responded to exaggeration claims and told Page Six, "Respectfully, considering the duke's family history, one would have to think nothing of the couple or anybody associated with them to believe this was any sort of PR stunt."