The ongoing saga of Meghan Markle's business ventures and her persistent use of the "Duchess of Sussex" title has spiraled into a full-blown PR nightmare for the British royal family. It’s a messy clash of old-school tradition, modern-day branding, and the ever-shifting dynamic between the royals and the public. Ever since she and Prince Harry stepped away from their royal roles, Meghan’s entrepreneurial pursuits have muddied the waters between her personal identity and her royal status. The tipping point? Her new online shop, which has unleashed a torrent of backlash and sparked heated debates across the board.
The core issue revolves around a glaring conflict between Meghan’s commercial projects and the Sandringham Agreement—the 2020 deal that mapped out the Sussexes’ exit from royal life. That agreement was crystal clear: no using royal titles to rake in profits. Yet, Meghan’s website screams "Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex" in bold letters, peddling a handpicked lineup of products tied to affiliate marketing deals. Every click and purchase funnels cash straight into her pocket. Critics are slamming this as a textbook violation of the agreement, calling it a shameless slap in the face to royal standards and decorum.
The ethics of Meghan’s business setup are under a microscope, and it’s not looking pretty. Take, for example, a pricey handbag featured on her site, reportedly crafted by Rwandan women scraping by on pitiful wages. The jaw-dropping gap between the bag’s retail cost and what those workers take home has sparked outrage, with accusations of exploitation and double standards flying fast and furious. Add to that the estimates of Meghan’s affiliate marketing haul—anywhere from tens of thousands to potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars a year—and the criticism gets louder. People are pointing fingers, saying she’s cashing in on her royal clout while the workers behind her products barely scrape by, painting her as someone prioritizing personal gain over fairness.
Royal watchers and insiders aren’t holding back either. They’re sounding the alarm about how this breaches the Sandringham Agreement and risks tarnishing the monarchy’s image. Rebecca English from the Daily Mail has been relentless, stressing how Meghan’s actions fly in the face of Queen Elizabeth II’s explicit stance against profiting off royal titles. The public’s reaction is just as fiery—social media is ablaze with frustration, betrayal, and demands for the royal family to step in. Over on YouTube, voices like "According to Taz" are calling Meghan out, framing her moves as a calculated insult to the monarchy and the late Queen’s legacy, chipping away at the very foundation of what the institution stands for.
