In a harsh critique published by Vanity Fair, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle find themselves under scrutiny with the cover story ‘American Hustle’, which criticises the couple’s life post-royalty – five years after their dramatic exit from Royal duties.
The article, decorated with a scathing banner, digs into new allegations about the pair’s conduct towards their staff; claims the Sussexes deny as ‘distressing’.
Yet, this isn’t the first time that Vanity Fair’s focus on the couple has caused issues, as a previous article sent shockwaves through Buckingham Palace, reports the Mirror.
Back in 2017, Meghan graced the magazine’s cover in celebration of the 100th episode of Suits, alongside the bold caption ‘She’s Just Wild About Harry’.
In the feature, she openly declared her affections, revealing: “We’re in love”.
However, the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden notes that the feature dropped like a bombshell at the Palace, even before Meghan’s engagement to Harry was official.
An insider shared with him the Palace reaction: “It was like a punch to the solar plexus. We do not expect friends of members of the Royal Family to give such interviews.”
The source detailed that both Princess Kate and Princess Diana did not give interviews until after their engagements were public, with Royal officials organising these tightly controlled exchanges.
The source additionally remarked: “While people were pleased that Harry had found a serious girlfriend, the article did set alarm bells ringing. It made people worry that Miss Markle was seeking to use the relationship for publicity purposes.”
However, according to Valentine Low’s book Courtiers, Meghan Markle disliked the article herself.
The former Times Royal correspondent described in his work that Meghan loathed the piece, and was annoyed at her PR rep for not only the images but also because she perceived the story as negative and overly focused on Harry.
Moreover, she considered the cover headline to be ‘racist’.
Low’s book narrates: “She and Harry pointed out that the song, ‘I’m Just Wild About Harry’, had been performed by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in blackface in the 1939 movie Babes in Arms. ‘They [Harry and Meghan] tried to get it changed online, because [they thought] it had been racially motivated,’ the source mentioned.
Additionally, the latest Vanity Fair piece makes other assertions: Harry didn’t foresee how much his tell-all memoir ‘Spare’ would strain family ties, Meghan has undertaken ‘re-parenting’ Harry, and there’s speculation about the couple’s lack of direction regarding their Netflix and Spotify contracts.
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This follows a report in the Hollywood Reporter a few months ago, which suggested Meghan had been dubbed ‘Duchess Difficult’.
However, following the publication of the article, both current and former staff members of the Sussexes defended their experiences working for Meghan in US Weekly magazine.
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