Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s sense of duty as senior members of the Royal Family was brought into question by a commentator.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a title bestowed upon Harry and Meghan by late Queen Elizabeth II upon their wedding in May 2018, carried out numerous royal engagements and four joint official visits abroad between their nuptials and March 2020, when they stepped down as senior members of the Firm.
In her time as a senior royal, Meghan also took on a few patronages – one of which she continues to hold despite her relocation to the US.
Writer and broadcaster Esther Krakue, however, believes the Sussexes lack a “certain level of self-awareness” and acknowledgement of their privilege, something the Royal Family has instead always maintained, even at the height of some of its most excruciating scandals, including the War of the Waleses between Diana, Princess of Wales, and the now King Charles.
Appearing on Sky News Australia, Ms Krakue told host Caroline Di Russo: “The Sussexes never really displayed a sense of duty.
“It only took a couple of years for them to storm out of the Royal Family like petulant children and release an interview with Oprah where they were just complaining; release a book like Spare where they were just complaining; release a Netflix documentary where, again, they were just complaining.
“It just goes to show that, actually, they didn’t have a lot of grit, which demonstrated their hearts weren’t in it until they had different motives, which don’t align with what the Royal Family is about.
“And we are seeing that as their stars continue to fall, you can see the flaws in the couple’s characters and what they actually thought they were going to do as members of the Royal Family.”
Meghan and Harry announced in January 2020 their intention to effectively become part-time working royals and renounce the Sovereign Grant, a position which they hoped would have allowed them to have more privacy, live in North America and pursue financially profitable deals while also representing the Crown at a number of official events.
This position was reportedly deemed unworkable by senior royals, and led to the Duke and Duchess’ exit from the Firm – which was followed by a number of pointed remarks made by Harry and Meghan.
In January three years ago, during an event held for his beloved charity Sentebale, Harry stressed he and Meghan didn’t get the exit terms they were hoping for.
He said: “What I want to make clear is we’re not walking away, and we certainly aren’t walking away from you. Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.
“I’ve accepted this, knowing that it doesn’t change who I am or how committed I am. But I hope that helps you understand what it had to come to, that I would step my family back from all I have ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life.”
One year later, as it was announced Meghan and Harry had to return to the Crown their royal patronages as their new lives in California were not compatible with the “responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service”, the Sussexes issued a statement to respond to Buckingham Palace.
It read: “As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role. We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
Ms Krakue’s comment comes as Meghan and Harry appear to be struggling to make a name for themselves as producers – something noted by The Hollywood Reporter, which counted the royals among the “losers” of the year.
