Meghan Markle and Prince Harry 'Damaged the Royal Family's Brand' With Their Endless Tell-All Projects

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's decision to criticize the monarchy has shifted the public's perception of the famous family. The Duchess of Sussex depicted her in-laws as bigoted during her 2021 tell-all with Oprah Winfrey, and historian Dr. Ed Owens discussed how the Sussexes changed the British monarchy's legacy forever.

"The story is a slightly tragic one as it has damaged this idea of a family monarchy. This idea that this is a united group who embody, if you like, the best of British family life," Owens told an outlet.

"Originally King Charles III's reign was going to be based around him being supported by his two trusty lieutenants — William and Harry," he continued. "But when that went so disastrously wrong in early 2020 because of Harry and Meghan's decision to leave Britain, it really put paid to that vision of the family monarchy."

Meghan and Harry's desire to share their side of things changed the couple's relationship with Charles and William.

"And then of course we've had the Sussexes airing their dirty laundry in public for the best part of three years — and again it has done much damage to that narrative of happy family life," the expert added.

"So why not, as I suggest in my book, do away with this family narrative once and for all? We don't need to have this big royal family presenting themselves as moral exemplars," he explained. "King Charles is uniquely placed because he knows first-hand that the ideal of the family rarely matches the reality of the family monarchy."

Commentator Tessa Dunlop warned that Charles' rift with Harry could weaken The Firm.

"By 1980 the pressure on Charles was huge. Britain wanted another royal wedding. On the surface, his marriage looked like the perfect second act — another blushing bride with her sailor prince," Dunlop shared in reference to his split from Princess Diana.

"But times had changed: divorce was prevalent, celebrity culture distorting, infidelity unacceptable. Charles and Diana’s giant wedding ended in giant failure," Dunlop said. "Charles is the product of his generation just as his parents were of theirs. But can our everyman king find a new brand as potent as family monarchy? Let's hope so for the sake of our divided nation."

In 2021, Meghan admitted that she struggled with her mental health during her time in the U.K.

"And, yeah, when you say, ‘Was it what it looked like?,' my understanding and my experience of the past four years is it’s nothing like what it looks like," Meghan told Winfrey. "It’s nothing like what it looks like. And I . . . and I remember so often people within The Firm would say, ‘Well, you can’t do this because it’ll look like that.'"

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Owens spoke to The Mirror.