Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Have Been Plagued By Scandals In 2026 (& It's Only March)

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From the moment their relationship went public, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the Duchess and Duke of Sussex, have been surrounded by drama. Even so, the number of scandals the couple has seemingly been a part of in the first quarter of 2026 is shocking. It's almost like the prince and his wife can't stop finding themselves embroiled in some sort of controversy these days.

All of this comes on the heels of what was already a rough and strange 2025 for Harry and Meghan, a year which saw "With Love, Meghan" cancelled as Archewell Productions lost its exclusive deal with Netflix, having it replaced with a first-look agreement. Along with that came whispers that Meghan's lifestyle brand, As Ever, was floundering. The year ended with Markle taking the top spot on Ranker's "Most Disliked Celebrities" list and their charity organization, Archewell Philanthropies, being forced to lay off staff. If the duo was hoping for an easier 2026, it doesn't look like their wishes have been granted. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aren't the only members of the British Royal Family who have been caught up in scandals in 2026. In fact, their issues pale in comparison to the actions of Harry's uncle, Andrew Windsor, who was arrested on his birthday after further evidence of his misconduct in office came to light. While Andrew's disgrace has tarnished everyone in the family, according to the Mirror, Meghan is especially concerned about how it could damage her brand.

Duncan Larcombe, author of "Prince Harry: The Inside Story," explained to the Mirror that, while Prince Harry's relationship with his brother and father is fractured, he has remained close to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. Unfortunately, along with the revelations about Andrew, the release of Jeffrey Epstein's emails also shows that he had a close relationship with Ferguson, even spending time with her daughters. 

According to Larcombe, Harry will undoubtedly want to reach out to the princesses during what must be a difficult time for them, but Meghan will be worried that the press will tie them into the story and has likely asked her husband to keep out of it as much as possible. It seems that even by trying to keep out of a scandal, Harry and Meghan find themselves still being brought into it by way of the British press.

Hoping to improve their luck ahead of the second quarter of 2026, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their plans to visit Australia for the first time in seven years. According to People, who spoke to a spokesperson for the couple, they scheduled the trip for mid-April in order to "take part in a number of private, business, and philanthropic engagements." The trip has managed to upset not only people in Australia, but in England as well.

For the angry Australians, the issue comes down to cost. A change.org petition with over 32,000 signatures explains the issue, stating that the people of Australia should not be forced to pay for Harry and Meghan's security, since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped away from their royal duties in 2020 and are visiting the country for personal reasons. The petition goes on to explain that, while Australians are dealing with "significant cost-of-living pressures," the famous couple will be charging between $2,699 and $3,199 a ticket for people to attend an event with Meghan. Meanwhile, Harry will be speaking at the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit, where tickets start at $1,500. 

Meanwhile, Tom Bower, who has written a number of books about the House of Windsor, told the Daily Telegraph that the Sussexes' trip to the Commonwealth is merely an attempt to profit off their former royal status. He claimed that Meghan is "monetising her royalty which I think is pretty shabby because she promised the Queen she wouldn't do that." 

When he isn't discussing their trip to Australia, royal biographer Tom Bower has been publicizing his book, "Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family." An excerpt from the book was published in The Times on March 13, 2026, and it doesn't paint a rosy picture of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their relationship with the rest of the royal family.

In the printed section, Bower claimed that a teatime meeting between the royal didn't go well, with William wagging his finger in Meghan's face. The excerpt went on to allege that Harry became obsessed with seeking revenge and had broken off contact with his friends, all because of Meghan. This supposedly led Camilla, Queen of the United Kingdom, to claim that the former "Suits" star had "brainwashed" King Charles' youngest son.

Harry and Meghan released a statement to People, calling Bower's book "deranged conspiracy and melodrama" and saying that the author "has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met." While this isn't the first time the Sussexes have had issues with Bowers — his 2022 book, "Revenge," was, according to Business Insider, criticized by other reporters and Markle's former co-stars — it does come at a moment when the couple is trying to rebuild their reputation. A scandalous new book could just lead to further difficulties for them.

While the exclusive deal between Netflix and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's production company, Archewell Productions, ended in 2025, the ramifications reverberated into 2026. In March, the streaming service announced that it was stepping away from backing Markle's As Ever brand, telling Variety, "Meghan will continue growing the brand and take it into its next chapter independently." A week later, Variety came out with a more in-depth story that revealed the behind-the-scenes drama between the Sussexes and Netflix. 

According to six people who spoke to Variety, the Duke and Duchess struggled to come up with new content for Netflix. Archewell Productions also proved difficult, with multiple sources saying that "poor communication" was a problem, as well as low viewership numbers for "With Love, Meghan," though Netflix denied that claim. Other sources told Variety that Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and chief content officer Bela Bajaria had grown tired of the royal couple. Again, Netflix denied the claim, and Bajaria spoke on it directly, saying, "Archewell has been a thoughtful and collaborative partner, and we've really enjoyed working with Harry and Meghan."

Netflix also denied the claim that Sarandos wouldn't speak to Meghan without a lawyer present, though they haven't denied reports that they lost millions of dollars over Meghan's As Ever brand. That news certainly doesn't bode well for the rest of 2026.