The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at the centre of a Channel 5 documentary that investigates the numerous contradictions at the heart of their post-royal life. The one‑off documentary focuses on claims of hypocrisy and double standards leveled at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, debating whether they are truly culpable or simply the latest targets of an aggressive press persecution. Featuring analysis, insider testimonies, and a closer look at the couple’s evolving brand, some royal experts have argued that Meghan and Harry ‘need Prince William tension to survive’ as their Hollywood career appears to be taking a major blow.
In the doc, Rebecca Reid argued: “I don’t think there is a reason why they shouldn’t use their titles for commercial reasons, every celebrity and influencer does, but these people are much better at pulling the strings so much more elegantly, whereas with Meghan and Harry you can see the effort with them, which people don’t like.”
Rebecca then hinted that Harry and Meghan would struggle to find interest without their tension with the royals, as she said: “Unfortunately, they kind of painted themselves into a corner now that if there is no more acrimony with the Royal Family, and there are no more stories, the only thing Meghan and Harry can get traction for, unfortunately, is discomfort and disharmony with the Royal Family.”
Charlotte Griffiths also chimed in: “What is the authentic Harry? What is the authentic Meghan? It’s the relationship with the royals, so they are in a difficult position trying to make money in an area where, like a Kardashian, you have to tell us lots of things about your life, and yet they’re royal and not supposed to do that…
“Having slammed the royal family for years now, she really wants to use the title Sussex, and she wants to use Sussex Royal as her branding, which she was told she wasn’t allowed to, but it feels a little bit hypocritical to rely on that royal fame to sell products and maintain notoriety.”
Ingrid Sewell then argued: “The Sussex title was bestowed upon Harry on his marriage by the Queen, then they abused this title for commercial reasons,” as she blasted the pair as hypocrites.
Georgia Barratt commented: “They are still the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, those titles were given to me, and they have to earn money, they have an expensive security bill and a house to pay for, so are people expecting them not to use that?
The doc then delves into Prince Harry’s hopes for family reconciliation, but the chances of Prince William speaking out are ‘vanishingly slim’.
Harry & Meghan: Royal Hypocrites? airs on Channel 5 on Saturday, 11 October.