Author Says Harry and Meghan's 2020 Exit Dealt Serious Damage to Monarchy
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 4
Author Says Harry and Meghan's 2020 Exit Dealt Serious Damage to Monarchy
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 4
Summary
Catherine Mayer said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2020 departure inflicted lasting harm on the monarchy, arguing the split weakened the institution's appeal and exposed a family rupture that remains painful.
U.K. polling, she said, shows the monarchy losing ground, with the Sussexes' absence especially costly because they connected with younger audiences in ways most senior royals still do not.
That damage unfolded after the couple left citing intrusive media coverage and weak palace support, then deepened through interviews, documentaries and Harry's 2023 memoir "Spare."
A private July 10 meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla marked Meghan's first return to England since 2022, but security concerns kept her and the couple's 2 children from a fuller U.K. trip.
Mayer said Prince Andrew has hurt royal popularity more broadly, while other commentators cited unresolved tensions with Prince William and argued any reconciliation will take years because trust remains broken.