Did Meghan Markle wed Prince Harry for ‘title and prestige’; Royal expert reveals

Meghan Sussex has made her way back to the headlines again. And this time, too, she has managed to garner a mixed bag of responses!
Meghan, a former American actress who was best known for her work in a fairly popular legal drama/TV Series, ‘Suits’, has always attracted a mixed bag of press since she married Prince Harry and, in extension, into the British Royal Family.
After Meghan married Prince Harry in 2018, the couple announced their decision to step down as senior royals in early 2020. Before the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, the couple, along with their infant child Archie, had moved to Montecito, US. As Meghan and Prince Harry relinquished their responsibilities as senior royals, they ventured into other aspects of life professionally. From launching the podcast ‘Archetypes’ on Spotify in 2022 to getting back in front of the camera with her latest lifestyle series ‘With Love, Meghan’, Meghan has been keeping herself busy.
With her mini-series comes a fresh wave of feedback and criticism as Meghan embarks on this new chapter of life.
However, ‘With Love, Meghan’ also refuels another long-standing question, has Meghan really left the royal life, her royal status behind?

As seen in the second episode of the lifestyle show, Meghan and Mindy Kaling prepared for a garden party and talked about foods they ate when they were kids. As Kaling was surprised when Meghan revealed her childhood food haits, The Mindy Project star said, "People wouldn’t believe that Meghan Markle ate at Jack in the Box!"
Meghan then went on to correct her, saying, "It’s so funny, too, that you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I’m Sussex now." She added, "You have kids and you go, ‘No, I share my name with my children,' " she emphasized. "I didn’t know how meaningful that would be to me, but it just means so much to go, this is our family name, our little family name."
Kaling nodded to her and replied, "Now I know, and I love it."
Later, Meghan revealed to PEOPLE that the Sussex name "is part of our love story" that she will tell Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet about one day, saying "I think as the kids get older, they’re so excited about, ‘Oh my gosh, Mama and Papa, how did you meet?’ I think that will come with time as they get older, but for right now a huge part of our love story is that we share the name Sussex.”
Now, royal experts are weighing in - did Meghan step into the royal family for the titles?

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams recently noted to Fox News Digital that the popularity of Princess Kate and her husband, Prince William, is "very high." He further added that there is "no comparison" between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.
While Meghan’s new show has managed to acquire only 11% Rotten Tomatoes, as per another British royals expert Hilary Fordwich, the Duchess of Sussex has a 21% approval rating. She cited a recent YouGov poll in Britain and told Fox News Digital that the Princess of Wales is "Britain's most popular living royal."
Fordwich said, referencing Markle’s beekeeping segment shown in a preview for ‘With Love, Meghan’, "Princess Catherine actually is a beekeeper. Her bees are at Anmer Hall, in the corner of the gardens on the Sandringham estate. Instead of monetizing her real hobby, back in the summer of ’21, she actually took honey from the hives whilst visiting schoolchildren attending the biodiversity hub at London’s Natural History Museum."
Fordwich also added that everything Middleton "does is to help others, those mentally challenged, the less privileged, the disadvantaged, the young, as well as those suffering from cancer, to name a few causes." She mentioned, "She never belittles others, whereas this Netflix show is actually denigrating to those less fortunate."

Fordwich commented that, to her, Markle is "not only doing everything for money, she is seeking more fame and self-aggrandizement," whereas Middleton and her husband, Prince William, do everything "without fanfare."
As per Fordwich’s account, "A few years ago, they (Princess Kate and Prince William) enjoyed a fake snowball fight at the palace's temporary Orangery cafe, played games and helped children make Christmas cards and treats. Supported by the Royal British Legion in recognition of the sacrifices serving personnel and their families make year-round, and especially when they are separated during the festive period, again without public fanfare. This is what is really comforting versus jars of bath salts."
Fordwich hence underlined, "Meghan married for titles and prestige. Catherine married in spite of the title and prestige."
Fordwich said that while the duchess "claimed she felt unsafe and needed privacy and a quiet life," her family bought a house near bustling Los Angeles and hired three public relations firms and multiple publicists.
She continued, "Princess Catherine has never been involved in any legal issues or lawsuits. She is genuine, honest and true. She is devoted to her children, so doesn’t use them to monetize projects. She lives her life in spite of the media and paparazzi."
However, not all royal experts echo Fordwich's sentiment.

Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner disagreed, and said, "The beauty of Meghan is she is very precise with all the intricate ingredients and presentation and, obviously, with the usual Netflix styling the show looks immaculate. I am a self-confessed Meghan fan and for me the show works."
Pelham Turner called it a "shame there is such a chasm with King Charles," noting that the longtime environmentalist "would like the show content, especially using the homeopathic herbs from the garden."
He also added that the royal family would be "fools" not to watch Markle’s show because "royal members like Meghan show how [a] 21st century monarchy can be."
Although royal experts’ opinions are heavily reliant on the comparison between Meghan’s royal era and the post-royal era and take her transition into account, general viewers do not have that obligation while judging a lifestyle show. However, going by the social media chatter - ‘With Love, Meghan’, although has been made in pursuit of joy, and not perfection, hasn’t managed to amass joy in the audience, as most of them have been left quite unimpressed by the Duchess of Sussex’s relentless attempt to make it all look ‘La Vie en rose’.