MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry are always trying to be in the spotlight, according to a royal expert.
Outspoken royal author Tom Bower gave a talk on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, using the Sussexes’ “paparazzi chase” in New York last May as an example.
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The royal couple claimed they were involved in a “chase” with paparazzi in New York, which reportedly lasted “more than two hours”.
However, officers and a taxi driver strongly opposed the claims, calling them “exaggerated”.
Tom told The Sun editor-in-chief Matt Wilkinson that the Sussexes’ reputation has taken a hit in recent years, with celebrities such as the Beckhams increasingly distancing themselves from them.
He claimed, “Well, if you’re an American now, you get very little through next one to people who are the subject of so much criticism.
“I don’t think they can solve it, the momentum is either up or down.
“If they completely disappear from view, they lose credibility, they lose value, they lose their worth, and if they do come out into the public eye like the Tillman Award or other awards that they’ve received or that ridiculous trip to New York where they said they were going to be chased by the paparazzi, they can only lose.”
The Duke of Sussex was recently honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPYS, despite being urged to decline by a former military commander.
According to ESPN, the Pat Tillman Award for Service is “given to an individual with a strong connection to sports who has made a significant contribution to the legacy of former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman.”
Pat’s mother, Mary, has previously attacked the Duke, saying there are others who are “much more suitable” and have fewer “privileges” but could still win the prize.
Tom claimed the couple, who stepped down from royal duties in 2020, “have no credibility anymore”, either in Britain or across the pond.
He continued: “There is no doubt that the Sussexes have alienated a great many people, not just in Britain but now in California.
“They want to associate with famous people to improve their own status.
“And they notice that more and more people are moving away from them.
“Because in America they are much, much more transactional than they are in Britain.
The ‘rift’ between the Beckhams and the Sussexes
The Beckhams and the Sussexes have built a close friendship over the years, but cracks have appeared in recent years.
The Duke of Sussex reportedly called David to accuse him and his wife Victoria of leaking stories, leaving David “furious”.
David was also ‘ignored’ by Harry after he flew 22 hours from London to Sydney at the royal’s request for the 2018 Invictus Games.
The first cracks in the two’s friendship appeared in the spring of 2022, when the former footballer invited Prince William and Kate to his son Brooklyn’s wedding – and not Harry and Meghan.
A source said at the time: “David’s bond with William and Kate goes back to their past. They have a very strong bond and they were their choice as wedding guests.
“It was always about them, never about Meghan and Harry.
“They are the people that David and Victoria feel connected to and it has always been about them because they have a long history together.”
And perhaps it was no coincidence that after the rejection, Meghan stopped wearing Victoria’s designs, while Kate wore them more often.
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“You know, what do I get from standing next to Meghan and Harry?”
Since they stepped away from the royal family, the couple have given a number of high-profile interviews about their family, including their shocking chat with Oprah Winfrey.
Prince Harry later released his controversial Spare biography and their Harry & Meghan Netflix documentaryin which criticism was made of the royal family.
In a statement following their “paparazzi chase,” Meghan and Harry’s spokesperson called it a “relentless pursuit” that could have been “catastrophic.”
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But US law enforcement sources told ABC News that they only had 20 minutes of interaction with Harry and Meghan.
This seems to contradict the Sussexes’ statement, who claimed the incident lasted two hours.
However, it could also be that Harry and Meghan had no contact with the police during the entire incident.
NYPD sources also told the newspaper that the footage they have reviewed so far does not show the kind of “catastrophic” behavior cited in their statement.
A timeline of Prince Harry’s family feud
In 2018, The Sun reported that there was “a simmering tension”
The first signs of tension reportedly emerged after William was introduced to Meghan while she was staying at Kensington Palace.
Once she got back home to Canada, William and Harry engaged in conversation.
He knew that Harry was already madly in love with her, but reportedly advised him to take it slow.
The younger prince reportedly did not respond well to the advice, with a source within the royal family saying he “went crazy.”
In June 2019, Harry and Meghan officially split from the charity they shared with William and Kate.
The Royal Foundation will be split between the Sussexes and the Cambridges as the couples focus on their own charitable initiatives.
Prince William and Prince Harry established the Royal Foundation in 2009. Two years later, shortly after their engagement was announced, Kate joined.
The trio often appeared together at events and the foundation achieved great success with projects such as the Invictus Games for wounded veterans and the Heads Together campaign for mental health.
The Royal Foundation said the decision came after a review of the structure, but added that the couples would continue to work together in the future.
Harry and Meg lived near Kate and Wills on the Kensington Palace estate, but they moved to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor before baby Archie was born.
This move led to even more rumors about possible repercussions.
Harry also indicated in his ITV documentary “Harry and Meghan, An African Journey” that he and his brother had grown apart.
In 2021, Harry and Meghan gave a shocking interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which Harry accused his father of cutting him off financially.
Harry then flew back to the UK to join William in unveiling a statue of their mother, Princess Diana, in the grounds of Kensington Palace. But sources claimed William did not want to attend the memorial due to their ongoing disagreement.
In 2022, shortly before their grandmother the Queen died, sources claimed that Kate was acting as a “peacemaker” between the brothers.
Harry claimed in his memoir that his brother “punched him to the ground” during an argument over Meghan.
In Spare, Harry said William called Meghan “rude” and “difficult” during an argument.
Harry claimed that William “grabbed me by the collar, ripped my chain and… slammed me to the ground”.
He said he had a visible injury to his back in the 2019 altercation at Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace, where he was living at the time.
In January this year, Harry flew to be with Charles after the monarch was shockingly diagnosed with cancer.
The next day, Harry flew back to the US, without seeing Wills.
In May, he visited the UK for a three-day visit, without meeting King Charles or Prince William.
Meanwhile, a senior police source told the New York Post that there were “no collision reports or 911 calls” and that the chase “it was definitely not two o’clock”.
The couple were in the Big Apple for a Ms Foundation gala where Meghan received the 2023 Women of Vision Award.
They came and went in and out of the location publicly so that photos could be taken.
The taxi driver who took Harry and Meghan on part of their journey later spoke about his experiences, adding that at no point did he feel he was in danger.
