The Duchess of Sussex has been accused of being ‘crass and pompous’ after it emerged she used her HRH title again – despite having formally stepped back from royal life four years ago.
Meghan Markle has been hit in the firing line over the move(Image: YouTube/Jamie Kern Lima)
Meghan Markle has attracted new criticism after it was revealed she used her royal title in a way some commentators are branding “pompous”. It comes despite having stepped back from royal duties four years ago.
The Duchess of Sussex, who with Prince Harry agreed to stop using “Her Royal Highness” in their 2020 Megxit deal, seemed to cross the boundaries of that agreement when she sent a gift to another businesswoman. The offering, an opulent basket for cosmetics entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima, included a card signed: “With Compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex.”
This might have slipped by unnoticed if Jamie hadn’t posted the clip while promoting her latest podcast episode featuring Meghan, which came out this week.
Although the duchess’s spokesperson asserted on Monday that the couple do not utilise their HRH titles, a source later explained that while they keep the titles, they are not employed in public or for commercial endeavours.
Yet, royal commentator Jennie Bond thinks the duchess is treading dangerously. “She’s walking a very thin line here,” Jennie remarked to the Mirror.
Meghan and Harry agreed not to use their HRH titles after stepping down from their ‘senior’ roles in the Royal Family(Image: Getty Images)
“Was the present of her ‘jam’ to a makeup mogul genuinely just a ‘private’ offering or a commercial plug? I would argue it’s debatable whether her arguably unnecessary use of HRH was for commercial gain. But I reckon the Palace will just ignore it.”
The HRH style has been a topic of debate, especially after Prince Andrew was barred from using it amidst scandal. Meghan and Harry, following their explosive interview and Harry’s failed Court of Appeal challenge regarding his UK security arrangements, still officially have the titles but are expected not to use them in business dealings.
“I don’t think we’ll see any formal action from the King or the Palace,” Bond remarked. “It’s really not worth the row and ill-feeling it would cause. But I do think it’s rather crass and pompous of Meghan. I don’t want to be part of the pile-on, but you really shouldn’t try to bake your cake and eat it!”.
Jennie also questioned why the duchess continues to rely on the Royal identity she seemed so keen to leave behind. “She turned her back on royal life. She now says she and Harry were ‘in the trenches’ within six months of meeting, so it really does beg the question: why does she want to cling on to any vestige of a life she so clearly despised?” Jennie pondered. “I thought America was all about equality – so why try to be superior?”.
Despite the ongoing controversy, Jennie adopted a more sympathetic view when considering Meghan and Harry’s current life in California, away from their royal responsibilities.
Bond shared her thoughts on the Sussexes, remarking: “I’m glad that Meghan and Harry seem so happy now. She clearly feels they have found their feet and put their traumatic past behind them,” and noting, “These days it seems to be all about Meghan – and that’s fair enough. She’s a successful, independent woman earning her own way in life and with the man she loves at her side.”
However, she recognised the strains that may have emerged during Meghan’s brief tenure as a working royal. Bond suggested: “I’ve always believed that part of the problem was that Meghan never understood that she would not be CEO of the Firm she was joining – the Royal Family – and she wouldn’t even be managing director. She would be part of the team. And that perhaps is not her greatest forte.”
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