It’s been a busy few months for Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. After the official period of mourning for the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her podcast Archetypes continues to dominate the streaming charts the world over. It generates conversations and column inches around the topics she chose to unpack, and the guests she’s sat down with, including Constance Wu, Issa Rae and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. Then, there’s been magazine covers and interviews with New York Magazine’s The Cut and Variety, in which she talked about mourning the Queen and her life with her two kids, three dogs and of course Prince Harry.
It's fair to say that Meghan is like Marmite when it comes to public opinion – people either love her or they hate her. On one side, her podcast attracts huge numbers, with the first episode featuring Serena Williams topping the charts in the U.K., U.S., Canada and English-speaking countries. On the other, her critics, like author Angela Levin, who wrote Camilla: Duchess of Cornwall, say she is cashing in on being part of the Royal Family and take exception to lots of things she says, for example, referring to Prince Harry as her husband – even though he is.
But it’s not the public that she really has to curry favour with – it’s the Royal Family. Notorious for keeping calm and carrying on, they haven’t officially commented on any of the podcasts or the interviews. But privately, according to Tom Bower, author of Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors they are said to be "hugely nervous" about what Meghan (and Harry) have already said – and what is to come.
2023 was supposed to be the year of reconciliation for Meghan, Harry and the Royal Family. According to a report in British newspaper, the plan was that after Duke and Duchess’ Netflix collaboration and Harry’s book, they would launch a charm offensive, starting with The Queen, and then reconcile with the rest of the family. But unfortunately, the death of the Queen scuppered their plans. The reconciliation may still happen after the release of the book or the documentary but it’s certain this is not how Meghan and Harry wanted their 2023 to play out.
Instead, they were thrust abruptly back in the spotlight of the Royal Family when they attended the funeral of the Queen, generating a whole bunch of headlines of their own too. They had been in the U.K., attending a series of charity events and were due to fly home when the Queen died, meaning they spent more time in the U.K. than they have since they made their move to the U.S. in 2020.
From the outside looking in, we saw a family in mourning, pulled together by grief. But it seems that the rifts are still clear and present. We saw the old “Fab Four,” the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, along with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan strike a delicate truce and do a walkabout in Windsor, where they put on a united front to greet well-wishers and accept floral tributes. But the body language between the two couples was clear: there’s no love lost here.
From left, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex wave to members of the public at Windsor Castle, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (Kirsty O'Connor/Pool Photo via AP)
From left, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex wave to members of the public at Windsor Castle, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (Kirsty O'Connor/Pool Photo via AP)
There were later reports that Meghan and Harry were “uninvited” to a pre-funeral reception for the Queen held at Buckingham Palace, with the reason being that it was only for working royals - although it begs the question why an invite was extended to them in the first place since they aren’t working royals.
With the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returning to their home in California without a “peace deal” it seems that nothing has changed. Meghan and Harry continue living their lives and working on projects with Netflix and Spotify. Meghan, especially, remains a controversial figure who continues to make waves with things she says, and content she creates. But also she remains, in the words of the late Queen, “a much-loved member” of the Royal Family.
Let’s not forget that in his first speech King Charles III wished to express his “love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.” Meghan may be a controversial figure in the family, which means she isn’t in their favour. But has she ever been, and more importantly – does she want to be?
Meghan has always done her own thing, worked with the charities she wanted to, continued her activism and now is creating content that she really believes in.
In fact, in an episode of her podcast Archetypes she talked about activism, specifically why women who fight for the issues they care about attract so much criticism from the public. At the end of the episode, Meghan shares a piece of advice she received just a few days before her wedding in May 2018 from “a very, very influential and inspiring woman, who for her own privacy I won't share who it was with you.”
She continued saying, “She said to me, I know that your life is changing, but please don't give up your activism. Don't give up because it means so much to women and girls.” Meghan went on to say, “And I kept doing the work for women and girls because it matters, yes. But also because she encouraged me to do so.” Meghan has always forged her own path, and she doesn’t care if she ruffles feathers along the way.
I think what King Charles III said in his first speech was significant. He expressed his “love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas."
It felt like he almost wanted to draw a line under what the naysayers had proclaimed that Harry, but more so Meghan, was no longer a welcome part of the Royal Family. King Charles III took time in his very first speech as monarch, at a very emotional time to make sure that Meghan and Harry were singled out and supported. He was saying whether or not they are in the Royal Family’s good books, whether they are in favour or not they are part of the family. However, right now, it’s fair to say they are not on the best terms. The palace remains braced for the fallout from further releases by the Sussexes and what they may mean for the Royal Family, and especially the King and Queen.
Once Harry’s book, Spare, is released, and the dust has settled, there could be room for that year of reconciliation. That all depends in what truths are told in those pieces and the fallout from them. But the key thing is this; Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex is her own woman and one who doesn’t do things to be liked or to find favour with anyone – including the Royal Family. It doesn’t look like that will change any time soon.
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