Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are facing renewed criticism in Britain after royal commentators accused the couple of trying to repair their public image with carefully staged anniversary content years after launching what critics describe as damaging attacks against the monarchy.
The backlash erupted after Meghan shared a series of social media posts celebrating the couple's eighth wedding anniversary, including a video showing Harry carrying a cake into a room while their children could be heard wishing "mama and papa" a happy anniversary in the background.
The posts, which appeared intended as a warm glimpse into the couple's California family life, instead reopened long-running tensions surrounding the Sussexes' departure from royal duties in 2020 and the public fallout that followed.
Speaking to GB News this week, royal commentator Kinsey Schofield accused the couple of attempting to soften public opinion after years of public criticism directed at Buckingham Palace and senior royals.
"Because they came out guns blazing and they were so negative at the start, we are having a hard time forgiving them for that," Schofield said.
She added that many people in Britain now see the couple as "very bitter and unhappy people," arguing the anniversary content arrived too late to fundamentally reshape public attitudes.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped away from royal life five years ago before relocating first to Canada and later to California, where they built independent media and business ventures. Since then, the couple has repeatedly criticized aspects of royal life through interviews, documentaries, podcasts and Harry's memoir Spare.
Their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey marked a turning point in relations with the royal family, triggering global headlines over allegations involving race, media pressure and institutional treatment inside the monarchy.
Since then, even seemingly apolitical or family-focused public appearances by the Sussexes have often been interpreted through the lens of that broader royal conflict.
Schofield argued that Harry and Meghan might have retained greater goodwill had they initially focused on charitable work and philanthropy rather than airing grievances publicly.
According to her comments on GB News, the couple's latest posts appeared designed to remind audiences that they remain united and happy despite years of controversy.
Neither Harry nor Meghan publicly addressed those criticisms, and the anniversary posts themselves contained no direct references to the royal family or Britain.
Still, the debate reflects how deeply polarized public opinion surrounding the Sussexes remains both in the UK and internationally.
Royal editor Katie Nicholl offered a sharply different perspective while reflecting on the couple's 2018 wedding at Windsor Castle.
Speaking on The Royals Uncensored podcast, Nicholl said Britain had enthusiastically embraced Harry's marriage to Meghan at the time.
"It makes me cross when people say Britain wasn't behind the wedding because we were as a country, as a nation and actually the press was behind them," Nicholl said.
She described the deterioration of relations between the Sussexes and Britain as "quite sad," noting that the couple have become "like marmite" figures who divide public opinion intensely.
