Following Queen Elizabeth II’s untimely passing, all members of the royal family have found themselves under intense scrutiny.
To no one’s surprise, Meghan Markle has been the centre of attention, with some claiming that she is subjected to “a hellish kind of hazing.”
However, the Duchess of Sussex has been the target of criticism not only during this time of great sadness. Unfortunately, she has also been called some very harsh names throughout the years, and the most recent one might be pushing it a touch.
The connection between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the British royal family has been strained for some years. However, the pair came back together with the rest of the royal family for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.
Despite this, it appears that tensions inside The Firm remain high.
Gayle King, a friend of Meghan’s who hosts a talk show in the United States, claims that the Sussexes have not made peace with the rest of the Royal family.
Disapproval from royalists
In a touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan Markle gave moving speeches at the state burial. The Queen gifted her a pair of pearl and diamond earrings for their first joint event in 2018, and she wore them. The Duchess of Sussex dressed in accordance with royal protocol during the period of mourning.
Many royal watchers, however, were unable to remain silent in the face of what appeared to be a breach of protocol on Meghan’s part.
It is claimed to be customary for royal women to cover their faces in times of grief, however this is by no means required. Several women were spotted wearing this style of veil in addition to the usual black cap, including Kate, Camilla (the Queen Consort), and Princess Sophie. But both Meghan Markle and little Princess Charlotte opted out of donning the veil.
Tears from Meghan
In the wake of the Queen’s burial, Meghan also faced criticism.
Makeup could be seen on one of Meghan Markle’s black gloves as she wiped her face after the state funeral, just as King Charles III fought back tears as his mother’s coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault earlier this week.
Karl Stefanovic, who hosted Today’s coverage of the burial, made fun of Meghan after photos of her crying were made public.
He left room for interpretation, hinting that photos purporting to show Meghan wiping away tears could be deceptive.
According to Stefanovic, “there have been a lot of photos floating around and interpretations of photos and reading into photos [meanings] that may or may not be true.”
“There are a couple of photos that have surfaced of Meghan, um, with a tear running down her face – apparently – and even one of Princess Charlotte that everyone was saying she was crying, and we don’t know if it was true or not.”
What a “hellish kind of hazing”
Meghan has long complained about the royal family’s treatment of them, but no member of the royal family has ever supported her or corroborated her claims. But last week, Harry and Meghan’s story was backed up by allegations from Christina Oxenberg, a third cousin of King Charles III.
She claimed that male members of the Royal Family had a history of hazing the women they dated or married. She told the New York Post that the only women who can handle that kind of abuse are “tough as nails.” This is one of the few times that someone from within the family has admitted how difficult it is to fit in.
The American-Serbian author, a member of Serbian aristocracy, wished to provide some words of support to Meghan as well and stated, “to Meghan Markle, I say, ‘What you are going through is a hellish kind of hazing.'” Then, she added, “If she can hold out, someone else will come along who can handle the heat. There are no exceptions.
“Cut off” from the Hollywood scene
As the world watched in awe as Harry and Meghan’s romance unfolded, the public began to view them as favourites among the royal family. However, in 2018, barely two years after their wedding, Harry and Meghan made the decision to permanently separate from the Royal Family. Instead, they made America their permanent home in search of quieter times.
However, neither Meghan nor Harry have been able to avoid the spotlight, and they have been widely criticised for discussing personal matters within the Royal Family.
The Royal Family had to conduct crisis discussions after the couple’s shocking Oprah appearance, and Prince William broke convention by addressing to media outside a London school to insist his own family is not racist.
It’s also possible that the tide has turned in the United States.
Reports from the United States claim that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been ‘locked’ out of the Hollywood scene after the queen’s death.
They left the royal family in 2020 and moved to California, where they have been trying to break into the entertainment business ever since. Paid endorsement arrangements ($166 million) were made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussxx, who played Rachel Zane on Suits, with major entertainment companies like Spotify and Netflix.
Kara Kennedy, a pundit and Royal Reporter, says the pair may face difficulties upon their return to California.
Kennedy claimed the couple is being “frozen out” of Hollywood “one red carpet event at a time” in a column for The Spectator.
The royal expert said that the major reason they were not invited was because “all media attention would be on them and take away from the event or people there to celebrate.”
Getting back to the States
However, it is unknown if Harry will accompany the couple upon their return to the United States.
A deeper identity crisis inside the Royal Family may be triggered by the death of the Queen, according to royal analyst and author Tina Brown.
In an April episode of the New York Times podcast Sway, Tina Brown speculated that the death of the Queen would prompt Harry to spend more time in England.
Commuter arrangements are an option for long-distance couples like Harry and Meghan.
Harry will wish to return to serving his country after the Queen passes away, I believe. And I think they’ll figure out how to bring him in,” Brown was reported as saying by The Mirror.
You’d think The Windsors would be beyond being called by silly names, but they clearly aren’t. The Royal Family has a long tradition of using nicknames.
For instance, Prince Harry refers to Kate Middleton by a unique moniker. “Cath” appears to be Harry’s nickname for his brother’s wife.
Cath.” His sister-in-law changed her name to “Kate” while in college, and since then everyone has called her by that name. Middleton and William discussed monikers on BBC Radio 1 in 2017. The DJ on the air had caught wind of Harry calling them “William and Cath.”
The host asked Kate, “Is this something that just happens in the family?”
With a “Yeah, I’m not sure,” she confirmed her uncertainty. “I’m not too familiar with it, but I’ll try to answer any questions you have.”
But although Kate Middleton’s nickname is sweet and innocuous, her sister-in-law’s is anything but. That Meghan Markle was called “that minx” by Harry’s stepmother Camilla Parker Bowles is a claim made by the notorious royal biographer Tom Bower.
Tom Bower said in an interview with The Sun that Camilla had been wary of Meghan. But the new Queen Consort kept quiet, as she did not wish to speak publicly about the matter for Harry’s sake.
When asked about the adventuress from Los Angeles, Tom said, “From the outset, Camilla was suspicious.” This was reported in 2022.
As she put it, “she found it hard to believe that Meghan would sacrifice her career and independence to serve silently as a team player devoted to the monarchy.”
But perhaps those claims should be taken with a grain of salt. Given that it has also been said that Camilla and Meghan get along famously. A insider may reveal to the Daily Mail that, upon Meghan’s introduction to the royal family, Camilla immediately invited her to lunch.
“Meg was really grateful to Camilla who was very supportive and invited her out for private lunches, particularly around the time of her marriage,” the acquaintance claimed. “She listened and got it; it’s tough coming into the Royal Family from a ‘normal’ background.” An insider in 2020 revealed to Daily Mail that, like Meghan, Camilla had been the target of harsh press and antagonism from courtiers because of her involvement with Charles when he was still married to Diana.
US-specific short form
Meghan and Harry settled into their new Montecito, California, home in July of 2020. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Ellen DeGeneres call the area home because they want to escape the hectic lifestyle of Hollywood.
Apparently Meghan has a new nickname in the neighbourhood and is frequently seen with her famous friends.
A neighbour of Meghan Markle’s told Page Six that Markle is known as the “Princess of Montecito” among the locals. As the newspaper put it, “her antics in the ritzy area” inspired the moniker.
A insider told the UK’s Closer magazine, “If she’s going into Beverly Hills or West Hollywood for lunch or dinner, she’ll generally call ahead and request a table that is completely secluded.”