The Only Recap Of Meghan Markle's Downfall You Need

The British monarchy may have become increasingly insignificant over the years, but that hasn't stopped the media from focusing on royal figures like Meghan Markle and feverishly reporting on their downfall. While the British monarchy has been rocked by bigger events this century, from the queen's death to Prince Andrew's Epstein scandal, it sometimes seems like people have been more interested in Meghan, Prince Harry, and various rumors about the couple. This makes sense when you consider just how much of an anomaly Meghan's rise and fall truly is among royal figures.

A divorced American television actress who identifies as biracial, Meghan worked her way from being a so-called "briefcase girl" on "Deal or No Deal" to starring as Rachel Zane on the popular TV series "Suits." Meghan was certainly not expected to become the Duchess of Sussex, quite a step up from the USA Network. Her very existence seemed to break the brains of royals and the media alike, defying the traditional expectations of what the monarchy looks like. As such, she was a polarizing figure by definition, garnering detractors from the beginning. Meghan did have her supporters, especially in America, and while her popularity has waxed and waned over the years, it's striking to see just how far she has fallen from her former royal heights, leading to damning headlines from reputable outlets like Rolling Stone ("Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are in their Flop Era)" and The Hollywood Reporter ("Why Hollywood Keeps Quitting on Harry and Meghan").

Meghan Markle's surprising origins only compounded the public's fascination (or condemnation, in some cases) when she was announced as Prince Harry's beau in 2016. She was a minor TV actor, after all, and he was the Duke of Sussex. For some, it was a fairy tale narrative; for others, it was a disrespectful abomination. While Meghan undoubtedly had her champions, she was still subjected to an onslaught of racist, sexist, classist, and xenophobic attacks. One Daily mail article with the headline "(almost) straight outta Compton" focused on the amount of crime in Meghan's hometown. A writer for the Daily Mail discussed Meghan's "exotic DNA" and wrote, "Miss Markle's mother is a dreadlocked African-American lady from the wrong side of the tracks."

Meghan had only been dating Harry for months when he decided to put his foot down in an unprecedented public announcement. In November 2016, Harry released a statement to address how Meghan was being treated. "The past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment ... the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments." Of course, these attacks against Meghan were heinous and inappropriate, but in many ways, this would mark the beginning of a victimhood narrative that Meghan would seemingly latch onto for years.

Weddings are stressful for any bride, but marrying into a monarchy must be absolutely intense. Nonetheless, Meghan Markle wasn't given much grace for her May 2018 wedding, with the media breathlessly reporting any bridezilla behavior. While Meghan had garnered more public support throughout 2017, her wedding gave the haters much more ammunition. There was speculation of a feud between Meghan and Princess Catherine, with reports that Meghan had made Catherine cry. Meghan later flipped the script on this account, claiming she was the one who cried and was thus, the victim.

Reports of Meghan's shady side were compounded by something Prince Harry supposedly said: "What Meghan wants, Meghan gets." This stemmed from the so-called "tiaragate," an incident involving Meghan's desire to wear one of Queen Elizabeth II's tiaras, something the Queen's closest aide, Angela Kelly, allegedly tried to prevent. While Harry would later paint Kelly as the antagonist in his 2023 book "Spare," Meghan was nonetheless seen as a diva by many, with some dubbing her "Duchess Difficult." A later report from The Times revealed a 2018 email from Harry's communications secretary alluding to Meghan's difficult behavior. "I am very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of [redacted] was totally unacceptable." A worldwide Ipsos poll from this time found that Meghan was perceived less favorably than any royal except Prince Andrew, though still favorably.

Meghan Markle attempted to adopt the normal responsibilities of a royal throughout 2018, but rumors of friction persisted. Harry wrote in "Spare" that around that time, staff at Kensington Palace began picking sides, "Team Cambridge versus Team Sussex" (via Newsweek). "Rivalry, jealousy, competing agendas — it all poisoned the atmosphere." Prince William and others blamed Meghan. This was only exacerbated by a notorious meeting between the Cambridges and the Sussexes, which led to shouting matches and literal finger-pointing. As Harry writes in his book, he and Meghan met with Princess Catherine and Prince William after the Sussexes' wedding. Meghan had apparently joked that Catherine had "baby brain," and Catherine demanded an apology, allegedly yelling, "We're not close enough for you to talk about my hormones!" Harry wrote that William pointed at Meghan, saying, "It's rude, Meghan," to which Meghan responded, "Kindly take your finger out of my face."

In a 2019 interview with ITV, Meghan was surprisingly frank in admitting that she was struggling. "Especially as a woman it's really, it's a lot," she said. "So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mum and trying to be a newlywed ... Thank you for asking, because not many people will have asked if I'm okay." While she was criticized by some as being ungrateful, Meghan generally received public support and even praise for her honesty. However, it signaled the beginning of the end for royal unity, foreshadowing the coming "Megxit."

On January 8, 2020, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry released a bombshell statement announcing that they intended to "step back as 'senior' members of the royal family," stating that it would give them "the space to focus on the next chapter." This so-called "Megxit" ruptured the royal family, but while it certainly upset portions of the populace (with "Duchess of Deception" trending on X), the plurality of people were actually somewhat supportive of the decision (even more so in America). A poll conducted by YouGov at the time found that 45% of people supported their choice, with 26% opposing.

It was really Harry and Meghan's subsequent and continuing criticism of the royal family that incensed the British public. In the 2021 docuseries "The Me You Can't See" (via Newsweek), Harry stated, "I felt completely helpless. I thought my family would help, but every single ask, request, warning, whatever it is, got met with total silence or total neglect." In a 2021 interview (via Business Insider), Meghan said, "I came to understand that not only was I not being protected, but that they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family ... They weren't willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband." Meghan also insinuated that the royal family was concerned about how dark her son's skin tone would be. These and other interviews created a bitterness toward Meghan and Harry throughout the U.K., with "Megxit" even being voted "Britain's Biggest Betrayal" in a 2024 poll.

A March 7, 2021, interview with Oprah Winfrey would mark a turning point for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and was watched by more than 49 million people in just two days. Their personal revelations and criticism of the royal family essentially ruined their reputation in the United Kingdom, with polling revealing that for the first time ever in the country, Harry was viewed unfavorably. Meanwhile, only three in 10 people in the U.K. who were polled by YouGov viewed Meghan positively, with 58% of respondents having an outright negative opinion of her. Many Americans were still fascinated by the royal immigrants, though, with a post-interview snap poll from YouGov showing that 68% of U.S. citizens were sympathetic toward Meghan and Harry.

So, while the United Kingdom had soured on Meghan, the United States was still interested in the royal exiles. After all, shows like "The Crown" and "Bridgerton" are extremely popular in America, with the country maintaining a somewhat perverse interest in the monarchy it had rejected 250 years prior. Harry and Meghan were quickly courted by various companies that wished to capitalize on their infamy. For the Duchess of Sussex, this was a perfect (if not perfectly planned) opportunity to initiate Meghan 3.0, a new phase of entrepreneurship and personal branding that neatly evolved from her previous professional phases as an actress and a royal. Now, she intended to be a survivor, a trailblazer, a lifestyle in and of herself.

The first major contract of this third phase in Meghan Markle's life was with Netflix, which offered a five-year deal with her and Prince Harry worth a reported $100 million, a figure which has been disputed but never refuted. Along with Netflix promoting Meghan's branded merchandise, the streaming service developed five titles with Meghan and Harry, including two sports documentaries and the vague, quasi-inspirational docuseries "Live to Lead," with all three failing to capture audience interest. Audiences were more interested in their other two series, "Harry & Meghan" and "With Love, Meghan," despite extremely poor reviews.

Between those Netflix series, Harry's book "Spare," and the couple's countless interviews, there likely isn't much left to reveal about the Sussexes' time with the royal family. That may be the biggest problem for the couple's future — people were only interested in Meghan and Harry's monarchic gossip, which has basically been tapped, and they don't seem to have much else to offer. When it came time to renew their contract with the couple, Netflix decided to downgrade them. In a clear sign of Meghan and Harry's downfall in recent years, the new contract no longer guarantees any production, instead acting as more of a first-look deal where Netflix will only pursue their projects if their ideas interest them. Even that deal surprised people; as one headline from The Independent put it, "Harry and Meghan's TV deal has been an almighty flop — Netflix is crazy to ask for more."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry also signed a multi-year, $20 million deal with the audio streaming service Spotify. The course of their contract is like a microcosm for Meghan's broader downfall. It took two years for anything to actually be produced, a timeline that was reportedly agonizing for every creative involved who wasn't a Duke or Duchess. In a report from Vanity Fair, one Spotify employee noted, "They wanted a big theme that would explain the world, but they had no ideas."

The eventual result was the underwhelming 12-episode podcast "Archetypes," in which Meghan interviewed different women. That was it. After Spotify ended its deal with Meghan and Harry, Jeremy Zimmer, chief executive of United Talent Agency, said at the Cannes Lions advertising festival in 2023 (via the Daily Mail), "Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent. And, you know, just because you're famous, doesn't make you great at something."

The harshest criticism came from Spotify's head of podcast innovation and monetization, podcaster Bill Simmons. "'The F***ing Grifters.' That's the podcast we shoulda launched with them," said Simmons, per Variety. "You live in f***ing Montecito and you just sell documentaries and podcasts," Simmons also ranted, "and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the royal family and you just complain about them." Perhaps Meghan and Harry expected success to simply find them, rather than working for it. They're royals, after all.

2023 was the year that Americans began to distance themselves from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, with two years proving more than enough time to get to know them and form an opinion. Spotify parted ways with the couple that year, and Harry's shady book "Spare" brought a bevy of tabloid attention that ultimately turned against him. Meghan was also going through the wringer with a defamation lawsuit brought against her by her half-sister, Samantha. Newsweek's polls showed Meghan's popularity plunging at the time like never before, with many people finding her and Harry's desire for privacy to be hypocritical amidst their media blitzes.

This sentiment was solidified in the February 15, 2023, episode of "South Park." Titled "The Worldwide Privacy Tour," the episode featured a thinly disguised Harry and Meghan moving to the titular town in order to seek privacy, though they actually do everything they can to gain attention. The episode was ultimately more vicious toward Meghan, whose character described her own "brand" in the show as "sorority girl, actress, influencer, victim." Harry redeems himself by the end of the episode, and when he sees that Meghan is literally (horrifyingly) empty inside, he leaves her. A source told The Spectator that Meghan was reportedly "annoyed by 'South Park' but refuses to watch it all." Tom Peck of The Independent summed it all up, astutely observing, "It makes it clear that [Harry and Meghan] have turned themselves into a joke, both in their old home and their new one."

Meghan Markle has certainly tried to retake control of the negative narrative and push back against the widespread criticism directed at her. Unfortunately, her attempts at positive PR often backfired and just made her look worse. For instance, Meghan has been critiqued for centering herself during different tragedies, regardless of her real intentions. That was the case when she visited Uvalde, Texas, after a school shooting shook the nation. She donated blood, food, and paid her respects. People across social media expressed their outrage over what they perceived to be a PR stunt, with one user writing, "She had the audacity to show up in Uvalde, TX to pay her respects. Along with her bodyguards and a horde of photographers. No class at all. It's all about her," via Newsweek. "Sorry, this was a tragic event & she has used it as a photo opportunity," wrote another.

The same issues arose when Meghan and Prince Harry went to the Pasadena Convention Center in the wake of the LA wildfires, where Meghan was photographed handing out food and water. No matter her motivations, the Duchess of Sussex just can't win, with people chastising her for yet another PR stunt. Actor and Hollywood Hills resident Justine Bateman wrote on X, "Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers. What a repulsive 'photo op' they achieved. They are 'touring the damage?' Are they politicians now? They don't live here; they are tourists. Disaster tourists."

While criticism of Meghan Markle can often seem excessive (and has certainly been cruel and abusive in some cases), claims of her disingenuousness and inauthenticity were bolstered by her visit to a Harlem elementary school where she was scheduled to read from her children's book, "The Bench." She arrived at the low-income school wearing a $5,840 cashmere coat and matching $1,680 pants, and emails from a FOIA request reveal that her team requested new cushions and a carpet to match her look. The emails, obtained by the Daily Mail in 2023, show how the trip was designed for Meghan's Netflix docuseries, and students and educators had to sign consent forms that banned them from making any negative remarks about the couple.

Perhaps in response to this and other evidence that she's not authentic, Meghan rejoined social media in 2025 (after previously calling it toxic), later sharing a video of her and Prince Harry in a hospital room from when she was about to give birth. The notorious video featured a very pregnant Meghan dancing and "twerking" to the song "Baby Mama" by Starrkeisha and was brutally called out for "classless behavior." Journalist Camilla Tominey, who had also been a week overdue during her pregnancy, wrote in The Daily Telegraph, "On one hand, I understand the sheer lunacy that can accompany being overdue. On the other, I'm not sure even in my wildest moments I would have chosen to 'twerk' my way through it."

By 2025, Meghan Markle had become genuinely hated in the United Kingdom, with only 4% of adults saying they were "very positive" about the Duchess of Sussex and 65% viewing her either "very negatively" or "fairly negatively," per a May 2025 YouGov poll. It was her lowest polling to date in the country, and it will likely continue to slide throughout her downfall. Opinions about Meghan haven't been much better in America, either, with former friends, staff, and neighbors choosing to distance themselves from her. Sometimes literally, with Meghan's neighbors reportedly leaving their California neighborhood of Montecito en masse. As former Montecito resident Rob Lowe told E! News, "Once the royals move into your neighborhood, the neighborhood is never going to be the same."

There are many celebrities who are no longer friends with Meghan, yet another indication of her ruination. Meghan was nowhere to be seen when her co-stars from "Suits" reunited at the 2024 Golden Globes, with members of the cast confirming that they haven't communicated with her. Meghan had a falling out with Victoria Beckham when she suspected her of leaking stories to the press, something which also seemingly ended her friendship with "Made in Chelsea" star Millie Mackintosh. Countless advisors and press secretaries have quit on Meghan as well, deeming themselves the "Sussex Survivors Club," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Simply put, people are moving on from Meghan Markle, who is ironically becoming as outdated and obsolete as the monarchy itself.