The Queen thought very little of Meghan Markle, according to the latest leaks. So, where is the problem if she retaliates on what would have been her 100th birthday?
There has been a major uproar among the royal circle, who are furious at Meghan Markle being “Meghan, the businesswoman” — and, some of her supporters go even further, the breadwinner of her family.
Upon her return from her high-profile and scandal-plagued four-day tour of Australia with husband, Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex got right back to work. She launched two new products: candles inspired by her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The “Merching” Scandal: Candles, Cash-Ins, and Scents
Some believe Markle is using the headlines and riding the waves from her much-talked-about and debated Australian tour to cash in because, well, “the mortgage is high and the security is even higher.”
Via her As Ever company, she launched, according to the website:
Signature Candle (Prince Archie): A warm, grounding scent featuring notes of ginger, neroli, and cashmere.
Signature Candle (Princess Lilibet): A floral, radiant scent with amber, water lily, and sandalwood.
The candles are reportedly retailing for $64 each.
A Royal Centenary Snub: King Charles Honors The Late Queen
But others slammed Meghan for using publicity to launch new products while King Charles III held multiple events in the United Kingdom to mark what would have been Queen Elizabeth II‘s 100th birthday.
To honor the milestone, King Charles hosted a lavish reception at Buckingham Palace for centenarians and former patronages, attended by Prince William and Princess Catherine.
His Majesty also unveiled the final 10-foot bronze design for her national memorial at the British Museum and opened a landmark fashion exhibition at The King’s Gallery, showcasing ten decades of her iconic style, including her priceless crown jewels collection and her trademark colorful dress coats and matching hats.
The Decorum Debate: Retaliation Or Bad Timing?
Some called Markle’s move “gross,” “disgusting,” “wrong,” “inappropriate,” and lacking in “decorum.” Others view it as simple retaliation by Markle, who was bombarded recently with multiple leaks claiming the Queen truly disliked her.
The Queen’s Final Verdict: “Narcissistic Tendencies”
The strained relationship between Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess of Sussex has been cast in a new and unfavorable light by royal biographer Robert Hardman.
In his newly published book, Elizabeth II, and his appearance on Newsweek’s The Royal Report podcast, he explained that the Queen was disappointed in Prince Harry and saw Meghan Markle as a narcissist.
According to the author, the late Queen was furious, having bestowed many honors on Prince Harry — including closing the Olympic Games and sending him to Jamaica and Africa — and was stunned when he and Meghan Markle decided to “throw it all away” for “Megxit” — a life away from the monarchy he was expected to represent and work for all his life.
In the book, the biographer did not hide the Queen’s true feelings for the former actress who had become a royal. A senior royal aide who worked for the Queen was quoted in Hardman’s book saying: “The Queen had seen plenty of narcissists in her life.”
Hardman appeared on Newsweek’s The Royal Report and reiterated the bombshell revelation, stating: “A lot of people around the queen thought the queen thought Megan was, by the end, showing narcissistic tendencies.”
He further explained: “[Those around the queen] ultimately, in the end, felt that she felt she had been let down by both of them but certainly detected narcissistic behavior on the part of Meghan.”
Bending The Rules: From Initial Delight To Total Frustration
Hardman noted that the Queen gave Meghan meaningful roles, such as the National Theatre, that matched her background. He stated these efforts “were initially embraced by the [Sussexes] and then just sort of torn up… It was at first baffling, then frustrating.”
The author says that while the Monarch was initially welcoming, the situation changed as the Sussexes began to disregard traditional protocols and became, in her view, rule-breakers who captivated the audience and the media.
Robert Hardman stated: “Early on she was actually delighted [with Meghan]. Don’t forget the queen was sort of bending all the rules to welcome Meghan into the fold… Those sorts of rules went out of the window.”
The Inner Circle’s Discovery: A Pre-Planned Exit?
Those closest to the Queen began to notice a shift in her private assessment of the duchess very early on. Robert Hardman revealed: “The queen was famously good at concealing her true thoughts… but Elizabeth’s inner circle became convinced the monarch believed Meghan exhibited narcissistic traits after attempts to set her up for royal success failed.”
Insiders now believe that every move, starting with the high-profile guest list at St George’s Chapel, was a calculated step toward a pre-planned departure from the UK.
A senior royal aide stated in the book: “The business of having Oprah at the wedding now made sense… It was now starting to look like the move to California had been a plan all along.”
A Wasted Opportunity: The Heartbreak Over Prince Harry
Another stunning revelation from the book claims that the Queen initially felt a deep bond with Meghan’s troubled background, comparing her struggle to the early, unstable life of Prince Philip.
The writer revealed: “The Queen had initially been very sympathetic to Meghan and her family problems. I think she saw similarities between Meghan and the young Philip and his chaotic family.”
Elsewhere in the book, the royal reporter explained that the Queen was heartbroken to see her immense hope for Harry — whom she firmly believed would be the one to modernize the monarchy — completely toss all the opportunities away.
He wrote: “The Queen recognised what a modernising force Harry was. In March 2012, she sent him to Jamaica during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations at a time when there were growing rumbles of Republicanism. Her grandson was the perfect choice – he hugged the country’s prime minister and managed to ‘beat’ Usain Bolt on the track by shamelessly cheating – returning a hero who had helped shore up the monarchy.”
Just months later, she bestowed another great honor on him. Having opened the London 2012 Olympic Games with her astonishing James Bond cameo, she then announced she would not attend the closing ceremony.
“Everyone assumed that privilege would go to Prince Charles, or at the very least Prince William. But no, it was Harry who got this huge pat on the back. It’s a truly global moment, watched by billions of people. And when she gave it to Harry, we all thought, ‘That’s an interesting move.'”
Markle is doing her best to ignore the chaos about the past to focus on the future of her businesses.
