Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marked eight years of marriage this week as renewed debate erupted over the personal and royal cost of the couple's departure from the monarchy, alongside resurfaced scrutiny surrounding Meghan's controversial claim that the pair secretly married days before their 2018 royal wedding.
The anniversary arrives at a complicated moment for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, whose post-royal life in Montecito continues to divide public opinion on both sides of the Atlantic. While supporters point to the couple's resilience and continued partnership, critics argue Prince Harry's standing with the British public and the Royal Family has deteriorated sharply since the pair stepped down as working royals in 2020.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News that, despite controversy surrounding the couple's decisions, the marriage itself appears stable. "Whatever I might think about their activities, which is totally separate, I would consider their marriage a success," he said.
Fitzwilliams added that Meghan "arrived at a particular time when Harry wanted to change direction," while also describing the couple's break from royal duties as "something to be greatly regretted."
The discussion surrounding the Sussexes' marriage has intensified partly because Prince Harry's public role has changed so dramatically since relocating to the United States. Once viewed primarily as a senior royal and military veteran, the duke now operates largely through media ventures, philanthropic appearances and advocacy campaigns alongside Meghan.
Royal commentator Rafe Heydel-Mankoo argued that the balance of benefits within the marriage appears uneven. "One party of the marriage has got a lot more out of it than the other one has," he told The People's Channel.
"The marriage has been a huge success for Megan in terms of her profile, in terms of her business career, in terms of her wealth and her status," he said. "But I think for Harry, one must objectively say the marriage has been a disaster in terms of his standing, his approval ratings, his connection to the monarchy, his connection to the British people."
Heydel-Mankoo also suggested the prince now struggles to define a long-term public role in California. "As I've often said, he knows really how to be a prince or a polo player or a soldier - none of which are of much use in California," he said.
Even as criticism surrounding the couple's royal exit persists, older controversies connected to the Sussexes' media appearances continue resurfacing online, including Meghan's widely disputed comments during her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
During that interview, Meghan claimed she and Harry had privately exchanged vows before their globally televised ceremony at St George's Chapel on May 19, 2018.
"Three days before our wedding, we got married. No one knows that but we called the Archbishop and we just said, 'Look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world but we want our union [to be] between us,'" Meghan said, according to The Daily Mail.
The claim quickly triggered public confusion because official marriage documents later confirmed May 19, 2018, as the legal wedding date. The marriage certificate, released by Britain's General Register Office, showed then-King Charles III and Doria Ragland signed as witnesses.
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan later clarified to The Sun that the earlier exchange involved "privately exchanged personal vows" rather than a legally recognized marriage ceremony.
Justin Welby also publicly rejected the suggestion that the couple had legally married before the Windsor ceremony. Speaking to Italy's La Repubblica newspaper, Welby said, "The legal wedding was on the Saturday. I signed the wedding certificate which is a legal document and I would have committed a serious criminal offence if I signed it knowing it was false."
