Villains or Victims? Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Turned the Monarchy Into a 'Roller-Coaster' of 'Protests' and Mixed Opinion

Nearly four years removed from the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have allegedly tried to "ruin" the monarchy since departing from it.

"I think that Harry and Meghan villainized the royal family," entertainment reporter Kinsey Schofield dished.

"So you might be a little more apt to grab a poster board and go protest these people because you're seeing on the news, you're seeing on television, and you're reading in magazines that these people are racist in some way, according to Harry and Meghan's Oprah Winfrey interview. Would they be gentler today? I think so," she added when highlighting the institution's frequent protests within its Commonwealth realms.

Since "Megxit" in January 2020, senior royals have rarely traveled to Commonwealth countries, due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic. A major tour of the Caribbean was launched by Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, in the spring of 2022. The tour was to represent the late Queen Elizabeth II during her Platinum Jubilee year but turned out to be a "disaster" within the revered monarch's final months.

They were met with protests — something that they didn't anticipate. It was reported at the time that the future king and queen were "overwhelmed with remorse," a source told Us Weekly. "It was certainly more challenging than expected given the protests. They obviously know the history, but being there during the protests was a real eye-opener."

The duo even released a statement later addressing the controversy. "I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future. In Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide upon," the then-Duke of Cambridge began. "Foreign tours are an opportunity to reflect. You learn so much. What is on the minds of Prime Ministers. The hopes and ambitions of school children. The day-to-day challenges faced by families and communities," His Royal Highness observed.

With King Charles III's accession to the throne upon Elizabeth II's death on September 8, 2022, future predictions for the longevity of the Crown have focused sharply on the Prince and Princess of Wales.

"I think it's the King's time to shine. And the only reason we'd see William and Catherine put themselves out there like that is if he needs backup," Schofield continued. "They have very specific missions that you and I could say off the top of our head, Catherine, it's the early years, Prince William, it's homelessness and its climate with his awards show."

"So I think that they've done a really good job of making sure that the world knows what their mission is and we see it reflected in their lifestyle," she concluded.

GBN spoke with Schofield.