Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have apparently become aware of their possibly excessive adversarial tone in relation to the royal family, royal expert Tom Bower claims.
In a new interview with Ok! Magazine, Bower (who wrote Revenge about the Duchess of Sussex) said that he believed Markle, 41, and Harry, 38, likely recently realized they went overboard with combative content when it comes to the royals.
This, he said, began in 2020 when they determined to depart from their royal duties as “senior members,” followed by the unforgettable Oprah Winfrey interview in March 2021, the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan in December 2022, and Harry’s book Spare in January 2023.
The Sussexes Are Reflecting on Their 'Damning' Approach to the Royal Family, Expert Says
Bower asserted that the couple has since concluded that their tactics may have been too strong. "All [Markle has] got is the baggage of the Oprah Winfrey interview and her damnation of the royal family in various successive interviews," Bower told OK! about the Suits alum.
He added: "That’s why she’s been so quiet the whole year. She knows they’ve probably gone too far, and she doesn’t know how to get out of it now." The Rebel King: The Making of a Monarch author continued: "What is fascinating is how will it end? What will the climax be?"
Paul Burrell, former butler to Princess Diana, voiced a similar opinion to Bower's earlier this month when it came to Markle and Harry's media ventures.
He said, per The Mirror, that the parents of 4-year-old Archie and 2-year-old Lilibet "misunderstood what was expected of them" regarding their recent media deals.
In 2020, the Sussexes made a $20 million+ agreement with Spotify for Archewell Audio, yet their contract fell through last month. Additionally, the viral Archetypes podcast hosted by Markle was not granted a second season.
Furthermore, according to reports, the former actress and ex-military serviceman concluded a deal with Netflix to create several shows worth approximately $100 million.
According to Burrell, Markle and Harry are well-known due to their royal connections and are struggling to build their own projects outside of the fame they attained from this.
"Both Spotify and Netflix wanted royal content," he said. "After all, that’s what they’re famous for. Both Netflix and Spotify signed up for that content, for their story, for their experience with the royal family and sadly, I think it’s been shortcoming."
Burrell added: "How long will it be before Netflix realizes, well, this couple haven’t really got much to say?" The A Royal Duty memoirist then said he believed the couple should "reinvent themselves" as some fans are "no longer interested" in their story anymore.
Burrell encouraged Markle and Harry to reestablish their brand through charity and humanitarian work to not only make a difference but also to attain future brand partnerships.
"[Princess Diana] always said the price you pay for this wonderful lifestyle is public service, and you have to give something back," he recalled.
He continued, pondering: "Where is Harry and Meghan’s public service? They both have a great platform they could use for this. Maybe they will. I hope they will." Burrell shared that he has a feeling that eventually Markle will venture into the realm of beauty and fashion.
"I've always said that and I can see a bottle of 'Meghan' on someone's dressing table or perhaps 'Duchess,'" he went on. "Why wouldn't someone want to take a risk with that and create something for Meghan? Then, that would give her a foothold and a platform to launch herself into fashion."
The insider added: "I think it's another platform which can give her an opportunity to grow tentacles into different arenas and I've always said that this is just a rung on the ladder. She's climbing the ladder, she will eventually climb to the top of that ladder."
