A former royal editor revealed that Meghan, who is a ‘positive, upbeat person’ will continue to be the centre of negativity online as people feel she has ‘lost her credibility’.
Meghan came under fire on social media this week after her brand shared a birthday post for her
Meghan Markle still sees herself as a royal and a “positive, upbeat person” despite the consistent backlash she faces online, a royal expert has explained.
The 44-year-old was accused of turning her birthday celebrations last week into a PR stunt, but former royal editor Duncan Larcombe said she is always likely to “attract negativity”. He told The Mirror: “There seems to be two versions of her; one in America and one here, where she seems to be universally disliked.”
Last week, her lifestyle brand, As Ever, shared a birthday tribute to her on Instagram. The caption read: “Celebrating the woman behind it all. She pours her heart, vision & magic touch into every detail, and today, we raise a glass to her! Happy birthday to our founder @meghan.”
Some social media users took to X where they posted comments such as: “Meghan runs that account herself, yet here she is talking to herself in the third person.” Another person wrote: “Only Meghan Markle devotes a post to herself.” She also faced heavy criticism online after a video of her dancing with Harry in a hospital room before giving birth went viral.
Meghan thanked her husband, Harry, on social media for making her birthday special
Larcombe said of Meghan: “She’s a very emotional person and takes things personally, so it probably feels like she can’t do anything right a lot of the time. She was heavily criticised for some of her recent videos, and when she goes quiet, she’s criticised for that, too.”
While Meghan sees herself as a “very positive, upbeat person”, Larcombe explained that the negativity continues to swirl around her “because she’s lost her credibility”. He added: “She’s a self-publicist, and that doesn’t go down well with the British public. In her mind, she’s a royal, but she isn’t in terms of toeing the line.”
She may have a successful lifestyle business, but she remains the subject of significant online negativity because “she’s seen as cashing in on being a royal”.
Harry and Meghan have recently been perceived as trying to change the public’s view on them and Larcombe said the couple, who share children Archi and Lilibet, are on a “charm offensive”.
He said: “It’s very much to make them appear like good guys who are trying to make friends, but I think they’re doing it far too late.”
Earlier this week, Meghan celebrated her birthday with a dinner at Funke LA. She shared a snap from the night and wrote: “Blowing out the candles on a beautiful 24 hours, and thanking my husband, friends and family for making it so special.”
She added in the caption: “To those of you I don’t know, but who send love every day – thank you so much. Please know I feel it and appreciate it.”