Meghan Markle's 'Cruel' Cash Grab Could Sever The Sussexes' Remaining Ties To The Royal Family

Meghan Markle's marriage to Prince Harry has had its red flags from the beginning, not the least of which is her struggle to be accepted by the royal family. Despite acquiring the noble title of Duchess of Sussex, Meghan's American brashness was at odds with British reserve, and sources claim she chafed at the restrictions on her life. Her reported resentment of being outranked by her sister-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, was another sore point. Now, once again, Meghan's determination to do things her way threatens to destroy her family's fragile connection to the Firm completely.

Harry and Meghan's trip to Australia was supposedly a trial run for a return to royal life. They made charity appearances and gave speeches about mental health; Meghan appeared at a wellness weekend and served as a guest judge on "MasterChef Australia." But it was soon revealed that the duchess had a newly created page on the AI fashion site OneOff, where admirers can explore her best ensembles and buy dupes (from her $55 black tights to a $1,250 Karen Gee dress and $8,000 Cartier bracelet). The duchess not only receives a percentage of sales of the outfits, but she's also an investor in the company, and, as such, stands to earn far more.

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The move is being criticized as both money-grabbing and tasteless. One outraged user blasted Meghan on X for promoting the ensemble she wore to meet survivors of the horrific 2025 Hanukkah attack at Bondi Beach. "She turned tragedy into a shopping opportunity," they wrote. "[It] isn't just tone-deaf, it's disturbing, it's cruel!"

Meghan Markle's alleged cash grab couldn't have come at a more out-of-touch time. It was bad enough that she dished out lunch to homeless women in a pricey outfit during a world economic crisis, but offering up her designer duds online was definitely unroyal. (Kate Middleton may go about in Alexander McQueen and Jenny Packham, but she would never stoop to shilling her coat dresses to the public directly.) Royal watcher Richard Palmer predicts this could be the blunder that prompts King Charles III to deliver the harshest punishment to the Sussexes.

"I think this...may ultimately prompt further discussion about whether there is a need to strip them of their royal titles, now the King has shown it can be done in effect with Andrew," Palmer told the Daily Mail. "The palace can say it's nothing to do with the institution because Harry and Meghan aren't publicly-funded members of it — but they are the King's son and daughter-in-law, and any suggestion of cashing in on royal status reflects badly on the monarchy."

Even if the king isn't yet at his breaking point with the couple, this latest breach of taste could still affect Harry's reported plans to return to the U.K. Rumor has it that the prince is hoping for a family invite to Sandringham this summer, where Archie and Lilibet could spend some quality time with their grandpa. Those hopes would be roundly dashed if Charles had reason to worry that the vacation would be monetized into a documentary, a wardrobe sale, or even so much as a souvenir "Harry and Meghan Visited the King and All I Got Was This Stupid T-Shirt."