Meghan Markle 'still sees herself as royal' as she's 'hit hard' by devastating backlash

Prince Harry and Meghan’s latest attempt to “build bridges and move on” has backfired, a leading royal expert tells new. The pair sparked another backlash after Meghan was accused of turning last week’s celebrations for her 44th birthday into a PR stunt, while Harry, 40, was accused of allowing a “damaging” dispute to play out publicly in the fall-out at the charity he set up in memory of his late mum, Princess Diana.

Former royal editor Duncan Larcombe says that despite the Sussexes’ best efforts to repair their reputations with the help of high-profile publicists, they seem unable to escape the bad press.

“Everything Meghan does seems to attract negativity, particularly in the UK,” Duncan tells us. “There seems to be two versions of her; one in America and one here, where she seems to be universally disliked. It comes after reports Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are set for new 'goldmine' offer - but could face issue.

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“She’s a very emotional person and takes things personally, so it probably feels like she can’t do anything right a lot of the time. She was heavily criticised for some of her recent videos, and when she goes quiet, she’s criticised for that, too.”

That was certainly the case when the account of her lifestyle brand, As Ever, posted a birthday tribute to her. Alongside a snap of the duchess was the caption, “Celebrating the woman behind it all. She pours her heart, vision & magic touch into every detail, and today, we raise a glass to her! Happy birthday to our founder @meghan.”

While comments on the post were switched off, some unimpressed followers took to X with comments like, “Meghan runs that account herself, yet here she is talking to herself in the third person.”

Another accused Meghan of “sending her friends a script” and that everything was “brand controlled” following congratulatory posts from pals like actresses Kerry Washington and Abigail Spencer, another former Suits star.

Duncan says the backlash would have hit Montecito-based Meghan hard. “She sees herself as a very positive, upbeat person, but the negativity happens every time because she’s lost her credibility,” he says.

“She’s a self-publicist, and that doesn’t go down well with the British public. In her mind, she’s a royal, but she isn’t in terms of toeing the line. So yes, she’s making a success of her business, selling lots of jams and bottles of wine, but it’s coming at a cost because she’s seen as cashing in on being a royal.”

On her personal Instagram account, @meghan, she posted a photo of herself at swanky LA restaurant Funke, where she celebrated with a cake. She wrote, “Blowing out the candles on a beautiful 24 hours, and thanking my husband, friends and family for making it so special. To those of you I don’t know, but who send love every day – thank you so much. Please know I feel it and appreciate it.”

Comments were switched off, but the image led to similar criticism on other platforms. Harry also found himself back in the spotlight following the release of a report into what went down at his African charity, Sentebale, which he set up in 2006 in memory of his late mum.

He resigned earlier this year from the board of trustees after a series of boardroom squabbles became public knowledge, with Harry accused of being a “toxic brand”, and its chair, Sophie Chandauka, saying she was subjected to people “playing the victim card” after he stepped back.

The UK’s Charity Commission called the fallout “deeply damaging” in its investigation report last week, writing: “Sentebale’s problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity’s reputation, risk[ing] overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardising the charity’s ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve.”

According to Duncan, the episode raises more questions about Harry’s public role, says Duncan.

“It’s embarrassing for him to be told he damaged the charity’s reputation and risked its good work. It was a cause he cared about but, by letting it play out so publicly, it backfired. He’ll probably be incredibly angry and hurt that it’s added fuel to an already burning fire.”

The latest dramas come just weeks after Harry and Meghan’s new PR team held talks with King Charles’s aides ahead of Harry’s trip to the UK next month.

Duncan says there are clear signs the couple want to change perceptions of them – but it could be too late.

“They’re on a charm offensive and have employed people to help improve their image, and show they’re trying to build bridges and move on. It’s very much to make them appear like good guys who are trying to make friends, but I think they’re doing it far too late.”

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