King Charles May Step in to Stop Meghan Markle if Royal Status is Leveraged for Profit, Claims Expert
Ever since stepping down as a senior royal in 2020, Meghan Markle dove headfirst into various business ventures which she was barred from pursuing within the royal fold. The Duchess of Sussex now hosts her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, and runs a lifestyle brand, As Ever. It is also rumored that Markle recently trademarked As Ever for a range of services, including 'hospitality.' Commenting on the same, former royal butler Grant Harrold claimed that if she misuses her royal title for commercial purposes, King Charles 'could be forced to step in' to stop her.
The expert revealed that it would cross a line with the royals if Markle chose to exploit her royal status for profit. As reported by the Royal Insider, Harrold said, "If she was using her title for something, it’s possible they could step in. But it wouldn’t be King Charles phoning up personally. It would likely go through Harry." The butler explained that stripping her of her royal titles could be considered in the future, especially if branding lines become blurred. He added, "The only thing they could do in the future is remove their HRHs, for example, which is always a possibility."
Harrold also gave his two cents on whether Markle's decision to expand her lifestyle brand into hospitality was a beneficial one. He opined, "From a hospitality point of view, that’s going to cost a lot of money... If it’s a failure, that’s going to be a very expensive failure." Instead, he believed that something more wellness-oriented would make more sense for the Duchess. He explained, "I can understand she wants to have a retreat or something because she’s into wellness. But a hotel doesn’t really make sense with her brand."
Earlier in June, it was reported that the Duchess of Sussex plans to expand her lifestyle brand, As Ever, by adding hotels and restaurants. According to documents obtained by Page Six, Markle is expanding her business to add 'hospitality services in the nature of provision of food and drink' and 'hospitality services in the nature of provision of temporary accommodation.' Experts believe that the decision shows her ambition to move forward and focus on the future, while Prince Harry still seems to be dwelling on the past. As of now, her As Ever website reads, "Created by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, As Ever welcomes you to a collection of products, each inspired by her long-lasting love of cooking, entertaining, and hostessing."
As far as the monarch is concerned, royal author Tom Quinn claimed that King Charles and Prince William allegedly discussed stripping Harry and Markle of their titles, but feared doing so for a particular reason. He told the Mirror, "William and his father know that even without their Royal titles Meghan and Harry would carry on traveling the world as if they were royals, and most people in the world will still welcome them." Despite stepping back from royal duties, Harry and Markle remain as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, although they are no longer allowed to use the HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) title.