By Heraldviews
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is facing renewed scrutiny following the publication of an Instagram Story in which she appeared to acknowledge her former “Her Royal Highness” (HRH) title , a style she and Prince Harry agreed not to use after stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
On Tuesday, the Duchess shared
a screenshot of a letter from Ukraine’s vice president thanking her for recent
charitable efforts. The message began with the formal salutation, “Your Royal
Highness.” Though Meghan did not write the letter herself, the decision to include
the unedited screenshot, complete with the title she has agreed not to use, has
sparked a wave of criticism from royal insiders and commentators.
While Meghan and Harry
technically retain their HRH designations, they committed not to use them in
any official capacity as part of their negotiated exit agreement with the
monarchy, a move intended to balance their independence with continued respect
for royal protocol.
The social media post, however,
has been perceived by some as an implicit challenge to that arrangement.
“It’s outrageous. Every time
you think they can’t make it worse, they make it worse,” an unnamed associate
of King Charles III told The Express. “The deal with the HRH was a way
to stop them cashing in while letting them walk away with pride and dignity and
trust, and now Markle is using her HRH on a website which seems to exist to
sell jam.”
The reference to jam appeared
to be a dig at the couple’s growing lifestyle and media ventures, including
their Archewell brand, which has recently teased artisanal products in addition
to podcasts and philanthropic endeavors.
Though the King is said to be
aware of the controversy, a palace source described his reaction as notably
measured. “His Majesty chooses not to be riled by such matters,” the insider
said.
A friend of Prince William,
speaking anonymously to The Daily Beast, was less forgiving. “It’s
actually quite a clever way of testing the water,” the source said. “She can
say, ‘Well, I just wanted to publish this nice letter to raise awareness for
Ukraine, and oops! they got my name wrong.’ But come on. You’d have to be an
idiot to believe that she didn’t know exactly what she was doing when she
posted that message, unedited, to her stories.”
The letter from Ukraine’s vice
president reportedly thanked the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their recent
support and engagement with humanitarian efforts in the war-torn country. While
the royal couple’s charitable work has been widely praised, the optics of the
HRH usage continue to pose a delicate challenge in their complex relationship
with the monarchy.
Neither Meghan nor Prince Harry
has publicly commented on the post or the criticism surrounding it.
The incident adds to an ongoing
tension between the couple and the royal establishment, as questions of
branding, identity, and responsibility remain at the forefront of public
discourse nearly five years after their dramatic departure from royal life.
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