In the realm of royal and public relations, few decisions have been as dramatic as the actions of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over the past few years. From public interviews to sexual memoirs, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem determined to not only spoil their relationship with the royal family, but also the dignity and mystery that is still associated with their titles.
Some might call it a courageous act of anti-establishmentism, a rebellion against repressed traditions. But others believe that it is nothing more than stupid self-destruction, a bonfire of vanity and bad judgment that could continue to burn for years. According to royal experts, the growing damage reflects the mistakes of two public figures in terms of strategy, arrogance and extreme lack of self-awareness, who seem to have the ability to overhaul the royal family from within, but instead undermine their credibility and burn irreparable family ties.
Russell Myers, a veteran royal correspondent, noted in a recent interview: "What happened to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a complete disaster. Not only did they ruin their reputation, but they also seriously damaged their relationship with the royal family. This is a very significant loss. ”
A big part of the problem began in early 2020, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle abruptly resigned from their royal duties, moved to North America, and made a shocking announcement on social ** before notifying the queen privately. This so-called "Megixt" has plunged the royal family into a crisis that has overshadowed other royal events for several years.
While seeking "financial independence," the couple soon signed lucrative contracts worth tens of millions with Netflix and Spotify. But it also shows their blind ambition and paradoxical greed after they just asked to leave royal life in search of more privacy. As with many of their subsequent moves, the public relations image appears to be grossly miscalculated.
Then last year they conducted a public interview with Oprah Winfrey that exposed **sexual allegations about dysfunction, racism and mental health woes within the royal family. While this interview opened an important conversation, many believe that these TV confessions shamelessly played the "victim card" and burned down the families they had just left.
Myers noted: "In this interview, absolutely no one within the royal establishment is immune to criticism. Out of respect for Prince Philip, who is old and in poor health, Harry did not sharply criticize and blame him.
The Oprah special, which aired during Prince Philip's recovery from heart surgery, captured the attention of a global audience, but also shocked many royals on both sides of the Atlantic. It has been the talk of the town for weeks, but has seriously undermined trust between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Buckingham Palace. Experts called the interview poorly timed and lacking foresight and a new low point for the couple's public image.
A palace source privately told **: "Just when you thought it couldn't have been any worse, they found a new way to exacerbate family strife, creating a new narrative that would only harm themselves and the Queen." "Now, some see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as an Americanized comical image of the royal family, who behave and act more like the Kardashians than the royal family.
If the Oprah interview was their first self-destructive step, Prince Harry's published memoir is the ominous entrée to this tragic PR story. Published in January 2023, the 352-page bestseller, Spare Tire, promises an "authentic, candid" look at Prince Harry's life and experiences with the Windsor royal family. Although advertised as his "real", few expected him to be free of controversy or further damage to family bonds.
"It's been almost a year since that Oprah interview, and he's still mending the broken relationship with his father and brother," Myers observed. This book only hurts their reputation more deeply. ”
Indeed, the early excerpts hint at a confusing new ** about the private affairs of the royal family. Prince Harry portrays his childhood as a strange mix of privilege and psychological neglect, normalizing strange things through satirical British humor, but also settling old scores. Royal observers suspect that the memoir may eventually break his bond with King Charles once and for all, confirming the isolation of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
All of this raises an increasingly obvious question: are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle truly aware of the enormous reputational damage their actions have done?
As global figures joining an old, traditional institution, they must balance transparency with accountability, candor with concern for centuries of royal traditions. Otherwise, their intervention may be perceived as vanity opportunism rather than principled modernization.
Perhaps they feel justified in rewriting the intricate narrative of history as racialized outsiders who will stop at nothing to tell "their truth."
But strategically timed candor may lead to reform with fewer, and rash will only make their egos more glorious than progressive ideals. When inheritance, dignity, and family ties are at stake, even royal rebels ignore the roots of the royal family.
Looking ahead, the couple faces a difficult choice. They can accept isolation, consolidate their reputations as iconoclasts hungry for fame and fortune, or they can rebuild broken relationships through prudence, humility, and moderate candour. It is only in retrospect that we know whether the fire of vanity between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle really ignited a revolutionary change, or whether it primarily burned their position in royal and public respect. At the moment, the embers of their reckless actions are still burning, and there is no end in sight to the reckoning.