Meghan Markle's 'Disrespectful' Behavior: Duchess' Use of Royal Title Is Not What 'Late Queen Elizabeth Wanted'
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, continues to use her royal title even though the late Queen Elizabeth II commanded the former actress, and her grandson, Prince Harry, not to do so.
"The late Queen, she didn't want this," royal expert Angela Levin dished. "She made them promise that they wouldn't use their royal titles to make money, and then what?"
"They seemed to agree, but obviously it hasn't lasted. And to deliberately go against that is shocking and disrespectful," the author added.
The Suits star's usage of her title has been a "mess of contradictions" when it comes to how she approaches her royal status in the four-year wake of "Megxit," when both she and Prince Harry abandoned their royal duty.
"There is absolutely no reason for these non-working royals to carry on using their titles — not least with an entire website dedicated to telling the world that they are much, much more than mere royalty," journalist Camilla Tominey told an outlet when describing the pair's "royal hypocrisy."
"It is a shame because these two actually do have the power to make a difference if only they could get over themselves," Tominey added. The broadcaster then urged the couple to work harder to change the public's perception of them if their brand "is going to live up to its magisterial pretensions." The writer then shared how the ex-actress was "shamelessly trading" on a royal title that comes with an unspoken oath of lifetime public service.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to leave both the United Kingdom and its monarchy in early 2020. Although the pair said they wished to become "part-time royals," many royal insiders have disputed this claim. If reports from the time are to be believed, the late Queen Elizabeth II replied to the couple: "You are either in or out" of the royal institution. After arriving in Montecito, Calif., later that year, it was understood the pair would stop using their "HRH" styles.
The monarch also reportedly commanded the duo to not use their royal styles or titles for any monetary gain whatsoever — a directive that was ignored and broken.
Flash-forward to today and the ex-working royals still use their regal designations, as evidenced on their redesigned website in February.
If interested browsers click on the old website, they get a message that reads: "This site was established in 2020 and sets out the work streams of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex prior to their move to the United States," before prompting readers to a link to the new page.
If royal critics were hoping to see an absence of the duo's regal styles and titles, they will be sorely disappointed as the couple's royal coat of arms issued in 2018 appears at the top of the page, along with the pair sharing: "The office of Prince Harry & Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex."
GBN spoke with Levin.