15 Times Meghan & Harry Were Accused of Seeking Attention After Leaving Royal Life
It's been a wild ride for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry lately ... and not just because they decided to flip their entire lives upside down in January by announcing that they were leaving royal life and the UK for good. So much has changed for them over the past five months, but through it all, one thing has stayed constant: all the bad press. Although some royal friends are happy for the couple finally breaking out and doing what's best for their family, plenty of other people truly believe that a lot of Meghan and Harry's recent behavior and decisions have been driven by the need for constant attention, nothing else.
Of course, Meghan Markle has been called an attention seeker since the beginning of her relationship with Harry, but things have definitely been dialed up a notch lately, with no signs of dying down any time soon.
Read on for all the times Meghan and Harry were told they were attention seeking for everything they've done since they announced that they'd be leaving royal life behind. There's been a lot of hate directed their way over the past few months, but fortunately, it seems like these two aren't letting any of it stop them from doing their own thing and living life on their own terms -- which is why they decided to make such a radical change in their own life in the first place, right?
In the end, all that matters is that Meghan, Harry, and Archie are happy, and so far, it appears they certainly are.
Who cares what the haters say?
Letter to the Press
Many people weren't impressed when, in April, Meghan and Harry issued a letter to British tabloids, letting them know that they'd be ignoring anything that might be reported about them and that they wouldn't be offering any comments. Obviously, this was their attempt at getting a little less attention, but the way they went about it ended up rubbing a lot of royal watchers the wrong way.
Still Using Royal Titles
Though Meghan and Harry were told they could no longer use their royal titles after stepping down from the royal family, as it turns out, they're still doing it. Their website and Instagram accounts, both using the brand name Sussex Royal, still exist -- even though they're no longer actively using either one -- and it's no surprise that people are taking issue with that fact.
Maybe they're just trying to preserve their old work?
Tell-All
Although the couple have yet to confirm this news themselves, there have been plenty of rumors that Harry and Meghan are planning a tell-all, sharing things with the world that the royal family might not want anyone to know. Fans have already been all about warning them that it's a bad idea, but it could be the money they're being offered to do it that eventually pushes them to say yes.
Being 'Rude to the Queen'
When Meghan and Harry responded to Queen Elizabeth's decision that they could not use "Sussex Royal" as their brand anymore, Prince Charles' biographer, Tom Bower, called them selfish because he wasn't impressed with the way that they pointed out that they could use the brand legally if they wanted to.
"It was rude to the queen," Bower said at the time. "What is spiteful is, she married into the royal family not that long ago and she bailed out. But she wants to bail out on her terms. What is most important for this country is to protect the reputation of the royal family. What you’ve really got is this couple being led by Meghan [who] wants to commercialize the royal family."
Walking Away From Royal Life
Even just the simple decision to walk away back in January had fans up in arms, with people taking to social media to air their disapproval of Meghan and Harry stepping down. They were accused of "ditching" Harry's relatives and their royal duties, and many of their haters -- including Piers Morgan, who hasn't been a Meghan fan since day one -- chimed in with their criticism.
Living in California
Harry and Meghan's plan to move to California after their royal exit didn't exactly make people happy either. In fact, during an interview with MSNBC, royal watcher Victoria Mather went so far as to call Meghan "trailer trash."
"I think what has really, really upset the British public is that Meghan Markle, who many people consider as only, you know, five clicks up from trailer trash, has actually tried to disrespect the queen. And the queen is the most respected person, most respected woman, in the world," Mather said in March.
Archie's Birthday Video
In honor of Archie's first birthday on May 6, Meghan read a book to him on camera for charity. It was adorable and for a good cause, but some people didn't see it that way, including author Emily Giffin, who called Meghan out for being attention seeking by posting the video. Fortunately, others -- including Jennifer Garner -- came to Meghan's defense and shared how much they loved it.
Installing Privacy Screens
Though Meghan and Harry are renting Tyler Perry's previous home while they look for a more permanent place to put down roots in LA, they recently installed outdoor privacy screens, because hikers on a nearby trail can look into their property. It makes sense that they'd want that extra measure of security, but it hasn't stopped people for criticizing them for being too uptight.
Moving Away From the Queen
Obviously, to leave royal life and start over in North America, Harry and Meghan would have to leave Queen Elizabeth. As close as he and his grandmother are, it's clear Harry felt it was the right choice, but it meant that Meghan got some backlash from her own father.
"I don't think they have a right to use the word royal. I don't think they have a right to speak to the queen the way they've spoken to her. I think it's an insult to the queen and to the British people," Thomas Markle said while talking to TMZ.
Delivering Food to Those in Need
Back in April, paparazzi spotted Meghan and Harry delivering food to people who suffer from chronic illnesses in LA with the charity Project Angel Food. It seemed like they were just doing a good deed (they've always been into helping others, after all), but many people took it the wrong way, assuming that Meghan and Harry were just trying to get more attention by being photographed.
Announcing Their Nonprofit
Harry and Meghan weren't even able to announce the name of their new nonprofit organization, Archewell, without getting criticized. Once again, Piers Morgan weighed in, saying that it was just a grab for attention. "Total number of [expletive] the British public give about these two announcing their 'plans' from Hollywood right now: 0," he later tweeted.
In a word: ouch!
Security Debacle
After leaving the UK, the headlines about what Meghan and Harry would do for security -- and who would end up paying for it -- were just about constant. There have been a lot of rumors, but nothing's been confirmed, and people seem taken aback that they'd dare to have security at all. Um, they're still part of the royal family, technically.
We'd say security is definitely called for!
Meghan's Disney Documentary
Earlier in 2020r, Meghan made her return to the entertainment world by narrating the DisneyNature documentary Elephants, and even though wildlife and the environment are two things she's always been passionate about, of course, this was just one more thing that made people believe she wanted attention. We can't imagine what the backlash would be like if she decided to really get back into acting again ...
Financial Situation
There have been so many rumors that Meghan and Harry are broke, and they just keep coming. Of course, the fact that they're renting an $18 million house helps to dispel those rumors, but they're also getting judgment for spending so much money while they're supposedly struggling to repay the renovations made to their UK home, Frogmore Cottage, in the process.
Walking Their Dogs
Since their move to LA, Meghan and Harry have been spotted outside of their rental house, walking their dogs. Sounds like a pretty normal thing for a responsible pet owner to do, right? Not according to the haters, who think Meghan and Harry were just looking for attention and wanted to be seen in public or else they would have stayed within the gates of their community.
Sigh ...