The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to step back from royal life has caused «very serious damage» to the British monarchy, according to royal author Catherine Mayer, whose comments came as Meghan Markle marked her 45th birthday.
Mayer, who wroteDivide & Rule, said the rupture in the royal family that led Prince Harry and Meghan to move to the United States has wounded the institution. She stressed, however, that she does not blame the couple for what happened. «It's often taken as a criticism: Look what they've done to the monarchy. I think this has been very painful for everybody and for the institution, but you need only look at the latest polling on the popularity of the monarchy to see that it is losing ground,» she said.
The couple stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing intrusive British media coverage and what they described as a lack of support from Buckingham Palace. After settling in California, they aired their grievances in a series of interviews and documentaries. Prince Harry's 2023 memoir,Spare, further strained relations with his family.
In July, Meghan had planned to accompany Harry during several engagements on his return to the U.K., but security concerns prevented her and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, from making the full trip. The couple did hold a private meeting with King Charles III and Queen Camilla on July 10 — Meghan's first time in England since 2022 — although she made no public appearances during the visit.
The Sussexes lost their taxpayer-funded security when they gave up working royal duties, and Harry has since sought to have it reinstated, citing concerns for his family's safety.
Mayer argued that recent U.K. polls suggest the royal family's popularity has declined primarily because of Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his princely title after his association with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. But she said the Sussexes had an ability to connect with younger audiences in a way that the rest of the family has not matched.
«The only ones who can potentially do it are Kate and William, and they're more of a small-c conservative in their approach,» Mayer said, referring to the Prince and Princess of Wales. «They're young, but they're in their 40s. Their children are really young. And there's nobody in between George and his parents, William and Kate, to capture the imagination of younger audiences. Harry and Meghan are basically the same age, but they had this appeal, a much broader appeal, and that's been lost now.»
Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner echoed that view, saying family divisions remain unresolved despite signs of reconciliation. He described major cracks between King Charles and Prince William over the couple and said the recent private meeting at Highgrove had taken Prince William by surprise. «With Harry able to use Buckingham Palace again when he returns, it could be a breakthrough for Meghan and a heart-piercing wound for William,» Turner said.
While Meghan's relationship with the King has reportedly softened since the private reunion this summer, reports continue to describe her ties with William and Kate as distant, with little evidence that the broader royal rift has fully healed.
Mayer also discussed the bullying allegations that have surrounded Meghan. She said the timing of those allegations, which surfaced around the couple's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, led many people to suspect they were meant to undercut anything Meghan might say. Mayer said she had heard about friction inside the palace long before the story became public, adding that the accounts point to real friction rather than necessarily bullying.
«We're talking about people who were very bruised by the experience, which includes her as well,» Mayer said. «The fact is, there were real frictions between the brothers, William and Harry, as well as between the women and within the palace system. I don't think Meghan really understood that the monarchy will always give preference to the monarch and the immediate heir. And its members get very nervous when somebody feels bigger and more glamorous than the institution.»
Turner noted that the royal household has long struggled with outsiders who rise too high. «Outsiders are accepted, provided they do not become more powerful or overshadow family members,» he said. In his view, palace staff and royal family members could see Meghan's charm making her into another «Diana in waiting,» just as King Charles disliked being overshadowed by Princess Diana during public engagements.
Not all commentary has been sympathetic to the Sussexes. Royal expert Hilary Fordwich said their mistakes could not be overlooked and described their actions as a «fundamentally damaging, deliberate strategy to undermine the royals,» which she called unforgivable. Fordwich also said the royal family had initially been welcoming to Meghan, bending rules and making exceptions for her.
The debate over the couple's legacy comes at a delicate moment for the monarchy, with polling suggesting support has weakened and royal commentators pointing to generational challenges.
