Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have experienced a significant drop in favorability in the United States, and one royal expert believes she understands why.
“I give a lot of talks to Americans, and they all dislike Harry and Meghan,” Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of the royal biography My Mother & I, shared with The Standard.
“They hate that they let the Queen down,” Seward explained.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, aged 40 and 43 respectively, stepped away from their royal roles in the UK and relocated to the US in 2020.
Since then, they have publicly criticized Harry’s family — including the late Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away at 96 in September 2022. These criticisms were most notably aired during their explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries, and Harry’s memoir, Spare.
Now settled in a $14 million Montecito mansion in California with their children Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, Harry has officially renounced his British residency and considers the US his home, remaining estranged from the royal family.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, echoed these sentiments to The Standard, referencing comments from Eric Trump. “He was right when he said that ‘Americans don’t care about Harry.’”
Schofield added, “We lost interest in Harry and Meghan after realizing we’d given them far too much credit over the years.”
Hollywood publicist Jane Owen also commented on their declining reputation, particularly in Los Angeles. “Quite frankly, they were given every opportunity to shine in Hollywood,” Owen remarked. “They secured a major deal with a top streaming platform, had a massive budget, and an audience eager to engage. Instead of capitalizing on these opportunities, they actively destroyed them.
“I’ve always said Hollywood can resemble high school in terms of behavior, and by that analogy, Harry and Meghan have become the most unpopular kids in school.”
In 2023, the couple lost their $20 million deal with Spotify after their company, Archewell Audio, produced just 12 podcast episodes in two-and-a-half years. Their podcast series Archetypes, hosted by Meghan and co-produced with Harry, aimed to challenge stereotypes that hinder women.
Stacy Jones, founder of the LA marketing agency Hollywood Branded, elaborated on their struggles. “Harry and Meghan’s reputation has taken a hit over the past year,” Jones told The Standard. “Hollywood thrives on trust — trust that a project will deliver, that partnerships will be beneficial, and that public perception will stay positive.
“Their loss of the Spotify deal in 2023 carried into 2024, and without a significant success this year, they’ve struggled to regain momentum. Access isn’t their issue — they can still secure tables at top restaurants and attract attention at events — but the initial excitement around them has faded compared to when they first arrived in Hollywood.”
Despite these setbacks, Harry and Meghan’s representatives have not responded to inquiries for comment.
Insiders suggest the Sussexes have also grown distant from some of their closest Hollywood connections. Over the years, the couple forged relationships with high-profile figures like Priyanka Chopra, Serena Williams, Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres, David and Victoria Beckham, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, and George and Amal Clooney.
In June, Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, claimed that numerous Hollywood celebrities had “turned down recent invites” from Harry and Meghan.
Burrell later told The Post that many stars now prefer to associate with Prince William and Kate Middleton over the Sussexes.
