Meghan Markle’s supposed volunteering at a teen charity in Altadena, California.
Now, let me tell you what really gets under my skin about this whole situation—it’s the sheer audacity of putting out a narrative about volunteering when there’s zero, and I mean ZERO, actual footage of any volunteering taking place. We’ve all been volunteers at some point, right? We know what it looks like—it’s rolling up your sleeves, getting your hands dirty, and actually helping people.
There’s the wonderful woman with the name tag, the gentleman helping out, and people actually distributing items and engaging with the community. But Meghan? She’s as absent as her authenticity. What we do see instead is absolutely telling. The only shots of Meghan are these perfectly posed, marketing-ready images where, surprise surprise, she’s prominently displaying a branded bag. Isn’t it fascinating how every time she does these charitable appearances, there’s always some product placement involved? It’s like she can’t help herself. Every moment has to be monetized, every appearance has to have a commercial angle.
Let me paint you a picture of what real Royal charity work looks like. Think about Catherine, our beloved Princess of Wales. When she visits a charity, she’s fully engaged—talking to people, participating in activities, getting involved in a meaningful way. The focus is always on the cause, never on the commercial opportunities. That’s what genuine service looks like. But with Meghan, it’s like watching a Hollywood production where the main star only shows up for their close-up. Where are the shots of her actually helping? Where are the moments of genuine interaction? They don’t exist. Because this wasn’t about volunteering. It was about visibility. It was about maintaining that carefully crafted image of being a humanitarian.
Meghan, you know what’s really telling? If there had been even one single shot of Meghan actually volunteering—actually helping someone, doing something useful—you can bet your last pound it would have been splashed everywhere. Her PR machine would’ve made sure we saw it from every angle. But instead, what do we get? A glorified fashion shoot with a charity backdrop.
The timing of this is particularly telling when you consider what’s happening with the real working Royals. While Catherine is recovering from surgery, while King Charles is dealing with health challenges, while the rest of the Royal family continues their duty without fanfare, Meghan’s over here staging photo ops and trying to pass them off as charitable work.
It’s not about the perfect photo opportunity. It’s not about making sure your designer bag is in frame. It’s about showing up consistently, doing the unglamorous work, and making a real difference in people’s lives. You know, the kind of work the real Royals do day in and day out without needing to issue press releases about it. The contrast between this performance and genuine Royal service couldn’t be more stark.
When William and Catherine visit charities, they don’t need to prove they were there volunteering because the work speaks for itself. The interactions are genuine, the engagement is real, and most importantly, the focus is always on the cause—not on themselves.
And can we talk about the cynicism of using a teen charity for this kind of publicity stunt? These are vulnerable young people who deserve genuine support and attention, not to be used as background props in someone’s never-ending quest for relevance. It’s exactly this kind of behavior that makes so many of us question Meghan’s true motives.
You know what really strikes me about this whole situation? The sheer predictability of it all. It’s like watching a rerun of a show we’ve seen too many times before. Step one: claim to be doing charitable work. Step two: ensure there’s a product placement opportunity. Step three: release carefully curated images that show everything except actual charitable work.
And what about the charity itself? Think about the position they’re put in. They probably feel they have to play along, pretend this was some meaningful contribution, when in reality all they got was a fleeting visit that was more about Meghan’s image than their cause. It’s the same pattern we’ve seen time and time again—using worthy causes as stepping stones for personal publicity.
Let’s rewind for a moment and remember how this fits into the larger pattern of Meghan’s behavior since joining and then abandoning the Royal family. From the very beginning, there’s been this disconnect between the image she tries to project and the reality of her actions. Remember all those claims about wanting privacy? Yet here she is, making sure every charitable moment is documented and distributed for maximum publicity.
The timing of this latest PR stunt is particularly interesting when you consider the recent reports about their financial situation. With Netflix deals reportedly hanging by a thread, Spotify showing them the door, and now rumors about Harry potentially being cut out of King Charles’s will, suddenly we see this flurry of charitable activity. Coincidence? I think not.
You know what’s really sad about all this? There are so many genuine volunteers out there doing amazing work day after day, without cameras, without publicity, without designer bags carefully positioned in frame. These are the people who deserve recognition, who deserve to have their stories told. Instead, we’re forced to watch this carefully choreographed performance that somehow manages to include everything except actual volunteering.
And let’s talk about the message this sends to young people. What are we teaching them about service, about giving back to the community? That it’s only worth doing if you can get a photo op out of it? That volunteering is just another opportunity for brand promotion? This is exactly the opposite of what the real Royal family has always taught us about duty and service.
Think about the contrast with someone like Princess Anne, who’s been quietly doing genuine charitable work for decades. No fuss, no drama, no carefully staged photo opportunities—just consistent, dedicated service. That’s what real Royal work looks like. That’s what making a difference looks like.
The reaction from my viewers has been absolutely spot on about this. You guys can spot authenticity—or the lack of it—from a mile away, and this latest performance isn’t fooling anyone. We’ve all seen enough of Meghan’s PR playbook to recognize when we’re being sold another carefully constructed narrative that doesn’t quite add up.
What really gets me is thinking about how the late Queen Elizabeth would view all this. She who lived by the motto “never complain, never explain,” who believed in duty above all else, who understood that Royal service was about the causes, not about personal publicity. What would she make of this mockery of charitable work?
And let’s not forget Harry’s role in all this. Where was he during this supposed volunteering session? Probably off somewhere writing another chapter of grievances for his next book. It’s tragic how far he’s fallen from the days when he used to do genuine charitable work, when he actually made a difference with initiatives like the Invictus Games.
You know what would have been really impressive? If Meghan had actually shown up without cameras, without publicity, without the perfect outfit, and carefully positioned brand deals—if she’d actually rolled up her sleeves and done some real volunteering. But that’s not her style, is it? Everything has to be a performance. Everything has to be monetized. Everything has to be about her.
Let’s talk about the missed opportunities here. This teen charity in Altadena—they’re doing important work. They deserve genuine support, genuine attention, genuine help. Instead, they’ve been turned into just another backdrop for the Meghan Markle show. It’s a pattern we’ve seen repeated with every charity she’s ever been involved with.
The response from some of Meghan’s defenders has been predictable. They’ll say we’re being too harsh, that any publicity for the charity is good publicity. But is it really? Is it really helpful to have your cause reduced to a prop in someone else’s PR strategy? To have genuine volunteers pushed to the background so one person can take center stage?
And what about the actual teens this charity serves? They deserve better than to be used as extras in someone’s publicity campaign. They deserve genuine mentorship, genuine support, genuine attention—not just to be in the background of someone’s carefully curated photo opportunity.
You know what really stands out to me? The complete lack of spontaneity in any of these appearances. Everything is so carefully staged, so meticulously planned, so obviously designed to project a certain image. There’s none of the natural, genuine interaction we see when the real working Royals engage with charities.
Speaking of working Royals, let’s compare this to how Queen Camilla handles her charitable work. She’s transformed from someone the public was skeptical about to someone who’s earned genuine respect through consistent, dedicated service. No drama, no publicity stunts—just genuine commitment to the causes she supports.
The timing of this latest PR exercise is particularly interesting when you consider what’s happening with Catherine. While she’s recovering from surgery, focusing on her health and family, without any drama or attention-seeking, we have Meghan over here staging photo ops and trying to pass them off as charitable work. The contrast couldn’t be more striking.
And let’s talk about the broader implications of this kind of behavior. Every time Meghan pulls one of these publicity stunts, it damages the credibility of genuine charitable work. It makes people more cynical, more skeptical about celebrity involvement in good causes. That’s the real tragedy here. She’s not just damaging her own reputation; she’s potentially harming the whole concept of charitable service.
You know what would be refreshing? If just once Meghan would acknowledge the reality of what she’s doing. If she’d admit that these are promotional appearances, not genuine volunteering. At least that would be honest. But instead, we’re supposed to pretend that posing with a branded bag counts as charitable work.
The reaction from the charitable sector to these kinds of stunts is telling, even if they’re too polite to say it publicly. Real charities want consistent, meaningful support—not fly-by-night photo opportunities. They want partners who are in it for the long haul, not just until the cameras stop rolling.
And let’s consider the resources that go into staging these appearances. The security, the PR team, the photographers—All for what? A few carefully curated images that show everything except actual charitable work. Imagine if all that effort and expense had been directed toward actually helping the charity instead.
You know what’s particularly telling? The way this kind of behavior diminishes the work of genuine volunteers. The people who show up day after day, without recognition, without publicity, without designer bags—they’re the ones who deserve attention and praise. Instead, they’re pushed to the background so one person can take center stage.
The contrast with William and Catherine’s approach couldn’t be more stark. When they support a cause, they do it consistently, meaningfully, often over many years. They understand that real change takes time, dedication, and genuine commitment—not just carefully staged photo opportunities.
And what about the message this sends to other celebrities and public figures about charitable work? It suggests that it’s okay to use good causes as props in your personal PR strategy. It’s okay to make it all about yourself, rather than the cause. That’s not how you make a real difference. That’s how you perpetuate a cycle of superficiality.
What’s truly disappointing is that this is the latest in a long string of missed opportunities for Meghan to actually engage in meaningful work. It’s not about having the right image or the right product placement. It’s about rolling up your sleeves and getting involved. The real Royals get that. Sadly, Meghan seems more interested in the image than the substance.
What we have here isn’t a story of Meghan Markle volunteering—it’s a story of Meghan Markle making a well-timed appearance for some free publicity. And the real tragedy is that this is the latest in a long line of missed chances for her to actually make a genuine impact.
