Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were once again making headlines last week when news that Meghan’s lifestyle rollout had been a huge hit was quickly overshadowed when Harry found himself at the centre of an explosive bullying scandal.
The success of Meghan’s new business venture was enveloped in yet more drama when, not only was the Duchess, 43, hit by claims that she’d ‘faked’ a sell-out of her lifestyle range to drum up more business, but Harry was accused of ‘harassment and bullying at scale’ by his charity Sentebale’s chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka.
Now, after a charity watchdog has been called in to investigate the claims, a source tells Closer that the Royal family are more keen than ever to finally put an end to the drama that the Sussexes have brought to their door, and are seriously considering stripping Harry and Meghan of their royal titles for good.
The insider, who reveals that the couple have heard this news through Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, says, ‘Harry and Meghan have been concerned about their declining status in America, hearing that Prince William is demanding they’re officially stripped of their Royal titles through Eugenie has sent them spiralling and they’re now in official panic mode.
‘Their Royal currency is the only thing they have left to ride on in the U.S and even with their titles, they’re hanging by a thread, so this would be catastrophic for them both. And while it would be a devastating blow for Harry, for Meghan, it’s a whole different kind of shame and rejection. The worry is tearing her apart.’
It’s been five years since the couple stepped back from royal life, but while Harry and Meghan’s plan had always been to carve out a new financially independent life in the U.S – where they live in Montecito with children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three – the couple have remained inextricably tied to their past.
While there's been attempts to carve out new career paths, including their failed deal with Spotify, Harry’s 2023 memoir release, an Apple TV series and three Netflix documentaries, it’s been made crystal clear through their array of huge-money projects that their golden goose has always been their royal status and connection to the Royal family.
And last week Harry, 40, cut yet another tie with his former royal life when he was forced to step down from Sentebale, the charity he founded in 2006 in honour of his late mother Princess Diana.
Amid explosive allegations, the chair of the charity Dr Chandauka claimed that the ‘toxicity’ of Harry and Meghan’s brand had contributed to the decline in support for the charity, and accused Meghan of ‘disrupting’ a polo match fundraiser in Florida last year, when she appeared to decline to move away from Harry, instead making Dr Chandauka awkwardly duck under the trophy to stand next to her instead.
Meanwhile, Meghan is in the midst of promoting her website and made it clear that she's still dining on her royal moniker when, during her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, she corrected her actress friend Mandy Kaling after she referred to her as 'Meghan Markle’. The Duchess quickly replied, ‘You know I’m Sussex now’, referring to her official title.
Now, after she and Harry were stripped of their HRH titles when they stepped down as working royals, the source says Meghan fears she could be ‘utterly humiliated’ by another dressing down from the royals.
The insider says, ‘The cultural and economic value these titles hold in Hollywood circles is huge and without their Sussex brand, Meghan knows that any brand marketability and future financial stability for them and their children, would crumble into dust. Not to mention the utter humiliation.’
However the news has come as no surprise following years of allegations made by the Sussexes against the royals.
Since their first bombshell interview with Oprah in 2021, the couple have all been estranged from Prince William and Kate Middleton and have had little contact with Charles. But our source says Meghan is preparing to demand a face-to-face with Kate and is prepared to plead with King Charles to tell him that they must be allowed to keep their titles for the sake of the children.
The source says, ‘They are already carving-out a crisis action plan which includes a public apology to Kate, William and the entire family, and Meghan has already reached out to Oprah about another sit-down interview to attempt to turn the tide.
‘Meghan’s plan would also see them take the children to the UK this summer and have Harry call a family summit in a bid to see them all face to face and beg for forgiveness – it all sounds a bit like grovelling, which will horrify Kate.
‘While Harry has urged Meghan to stay calm and told her that taking such extreme steps would look blatantly obvious and highlight their real motive, Meghan is insisting it’s the only option if they are going to have a glimmer of hope at salvaging their Royal currency - and their family’s future.’