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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have racked up a serious array of criticisms from various quarters over the course of their relationship, so it’s fair to say that the couple is no stranger to criticism or unkind words. Whether it’s deserved or not, criticism comes their way no matter what they do or why.
Their recent appearances during the tragic and devastating Palisades fires earned them accusations of “disaster tourism,” while pro-Royal sources act aggrieved over supposed snubs via Netflix. Whenever the pair does absolutely anything, there’s always someone waiting in the wings to analyze, dissect, and brutally criticize. A lot of this behavior comes from the pair’s massive public profile: Anyone with a public platform attracts a lot of criticism and negative attention, and it’s hard to find someone with a larger public profile than Prince Harry. Harry received all sorts of criticism before the highly publicized split with the Royal Family, even before he met Meghan.
Yet much of seems much more personally directed. Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Royal Family expert Jennie Bond suggests that although the Sussexes probably expected a lot of criticism when they were exposing Royal secrets and the behind-the-scenes information, she finds it “disturbing that almost everything and anything they now do is still criticised.”
Bond has criticized the pair previously, so she’s not just taking pot-shots at other commentators when she says this. Giving credit where it is due, she praises Harry and Meghan for not choosing to stay safe in their home during the fires and instead aiding by joining the volunteers on the ground. But as Bond points out, much of what they do has been “quite unfairly” criticized despite offering “what help and support they could.” She even suggests that the pair attracted criticism when they have been entirely on the right side of issues, such as Harry’s outspoken stance against the power, responsibilities, and behavior of media companies, for completely spurious reasons.
Saying that it’s “time to give them a break,” Bond notes that they haven’t “attacked” the Royal Family recently and that maybe their dedicated critics should “move on.” Although she doesn’t elaborate, it does seem highly likely that a large proportion of the attacks and criticisms leveled at the Sussexes are a result of their public spat with the Royal Family. For ardent loyalists of the Royal Family, especially Prince William and King Charles, finding the truth of Harry and Meghan’s accusations was and will never be necessary — their negative words against the current and the future king and queen of England was enough to make them Enemy No. 1 for many. The fact that they refrain from even addressing the royals anymore doesn’t matter to them.
As for the Royal Family, they seemingly possess their own well-oiled PR machine with decades of experience in spin, one that is willing to brief against lesser members while in service to the big dogs. When there’s a threat, the institution acts to contain it. The continuation of the monarchy is its number one goal, and anything that might cause a problem is excised with surgical precision, as pro-Royal sources comment or make anonymous statements to the press in service to the cause.
Not only that, but many specific Royals, including Prince William and the King, have dedicated fandoms of their own. When Harry and Meghan made statements that reflect poorly on certain members — like their revelation that Meghan was rudely denied mental health assistance, how William disliked her, or the moment when he physically attacked Harry — they didn’t just make an enemy of their family: they cursed themselves with an enemy of legions of dedicated fans ready to defend the Royals.