Meghan Markle has come under sharp criticism yet again, with a royal expert claiming that she has estranged herself from her family and played a role in damaging Prince Harry’s relationship with the British Royal Family.
Royal photographer Arthur Edwards, during a recent discussion with The Sun, didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Duchess of Sussex’s influence on the strained familial ties. He pointed out that Meghan had cut ties with her own family most notably her father, Thomas Markle before marrying Prince Harry in 2018.
The rift has only deepened since the couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020, leading to an increasingly fractured relationship between Harry and his royal relatives.
Edwards bluntly suggested that Meghan is the common thread in both familial rifts. During the discussion, a member of the audience asked what might be the “common denominator” behind Meghan’s estrangement from her own family and the Sussexes’ fallout with the royal family. To this, Arthur Edwards replied with one word: “Meghan.”
This sentiment was echoed by Jennie Bond, a royal commentator, who further elaborated on the tragic nature of the situation. “Meghan, I don’t know, it’s very odd that she is totally estranged from almost everyone in her family, except her mother and one cousin we know about,” she remarked.
Critics of the Duchess of Sussex have long pointed to her strained relationships with her father and half-siblings. Meghan’s relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, collapsed before her royal wedding after he was caught staging paparazzi photos and later speaking publicly about his strained relationship with Meghan.
Since then, the father-daughter duo have reportedly not spoken, despite his public pleas for reconciliation. Jennie Bond expressed the opinion that this estrangement now extends to Prince Harry’s family, particularly since their exit from royal duties, commonly referred to as Megxit. “And now she has estranged Harry from his,” Bond said. “I mean, it’s tragic, I think.”
The Sussexes’ distance from the royal family became a public spectacle after their move to the U.S. and the airing of high-profile interviews where they discussed the difficulties they faced as working royals. This has led to an ongoing rift with senior members of the family, most notably Prince William and King Charles III.
However, Bond also suggested that despite the apparent rift, King Charles III might still be open to repairing the relationship with his younger son, although it would not come without conditions. “I still do think Charles has his arms figuratively open to Harry,” she said. “Not unconditionally, and not unforgivingly, but I think he would like to establish a relationship with his younger son.”
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The critique of Meghan’s role in Harry’s estrangement from the royal family has been a common narrative among royal commentators. Many argue that before Meghan’s arrival, Harry enjoyed close bonds with his brother, Prince William, and other senior royals.
However, since their high-profile departure from the UK and bombshell interviews, including the couple’s explosive sit-down with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the gulf between Harry and his family has only widened.
Despite the harsh criticism, Meghan has maintained a close relationship with her mother, Doria Ragland, who has been a strong and consistent presence in her life. Yet, as Bond pointed out, Meghan remains estranged from nearly all other members of her family. “It’s very odd that she is totally estranged from almost everyone in her family,” Bond emphasized.
As royal watchers continue to speculate on the future of Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family, the possibility of reconciliation seems unclear. While King Charles might be open to re-establishing contact with Harry, the tension between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the rest of the royal family appears far from resolved.
For now, the focus remains on whether any progress can be made toward healing the rift. However, with ongoing public criticism and commentary, particularly around Meghan’s influence on Harry, the path to reconciliation looks to be a complicated one.
