Meghan Markle Accused of 'Enormous Dislike' for Britons
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been accused of harboring an "enormous dislike" for Britons, according to royal biographer Angela Levin. The former actress, who stepped down from her role as a senior member of the Royal Family alongside her husband, Prince Harry, in 2020, has not returned to the U.K. since Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022. This absence, coupled with Meghan's declining popularity in Prince Harry's native nation, has fueled speculation about her feelings towards the country.
Speaking on GB News, Levin claimed, "She doesn't like us. She doesn't want to be here. When she flew in before they flew off to Africa, she didn't even get out of Heathrow [Airport]." The biographer added, "She stayed there and waited. Her dislike of us is enormous."
Meghan's struggle to adjust to royal life has been a topic of discussion since her departure from the royal fold. In the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan," the Duchess painted Kate Middleton and Prince William as rigid, highlighting the cultural differences she encountered. "I was a hugger and have always been a hugger. I didn't realize that that was really jarring for a lot of Brits," Meghan said, referencing her first time hanging out with the Wales. "I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside."
The Duchess admitted that she had entered into her role as a member of the Royal Family "naively," not fully comprehending the expectations and responsibilities that came with the position. In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan confessed, "I would say I went into it naively because I didn't grow up knowing much about the royal family. It wasn't part of something that was part of [the] conversation at home."
Lady Glenconner, Queen Elizabeth's childhood friend, also criticized Meghan in a recent interview, suggesting that the American royal assumed she would be "riding around in a golden coach." Glenconner said on the "Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth" podcast, "I think the thing about Meghan was, she had no idea what was expected of her really. I think she just thought it was sort of like being another actress, you know."
Despite Meghan's initial excitement about advocating for people through her position, she admitted that she wasn't fully aware of the reality of being a duchess. "We thought a lot about what we thought it might be. I didn't fully understand what the job was: What does it mean to be a working royal? What do you do? What does that mean? He and I were very aligned on our cause-driven work, that was part of our initial connection," Meghan shared with Oprah Winfrey. "But there was no way to understand what the day-to-day was going to be like, and it's so different because I didn't romanticize any element of it."
As speculation about Meghan's feelings towards Britons continues, there have also been rumors that Prince Harry may be considering American citizenship, a move that could potentially result in the couple losing their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. Levin commented on this possibility, stating, "I don't think she wants Harry or herself to lose them. If she wants to do politics for America, she absolutely has to do that." The royal expert added, "I think in the U.K., we would all be quite pleased if Harry did actually drop his titles. His behavior here to his family is so atrocious and we don't really want them here anymore."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have held their titles since the late Queen Elizabeth awarded them as a wedding gift in 2018. However, since their departure from royal duties, many have called for their titles to be removed.