Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Slammed by Branding Expert for 'Whining and Moaning' About Royal Family

LONDON — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are facing fresh criticism over their ongoing public commentary about the British royal family, with a branding expert accusing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of repeatedly airing grievances against Harry's relatives even as the couple works to rebuild ties with King Charles III.

Sharon Williams, chief executive of Taurus Marketing, told News24.com that the couple has shown little restraint in criticizing the royal family in public, describing years of complaints as amounting to what she called "a lot of whining and moaning." Williams went further, saying the couple has been "happy to slay their own kin" in their repeated public criticism of the institution Harry was born into.

The comments come weeks after Harry traveled to the United Kingdom for a rare reunion with his father, marking his first face-to-face meeting with the king in several years.

A rare reunion at Highgrove

Harry and Meghan traveled to Highgrove House on July 10, bringing their two children, 7-year-old Prince Archie and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet, for a visit with King Charles and Queen Camilla. The gathering was notable given the extended estrangement between Harry and his father, and Williams described the moment as a potential turning point in the relationship.

"We are at a critical turning point because rather than 'continued distance,'" Williams said, noting that Harry had just seen his father for the first time in years, leaving open the question of whether the distance between them would persist or begin to close.

Still, Williams argued that any further reconciliation would require more than a single visit. She said the couple would "need to ask for some forgiveness" if they hope to fully repair the relationship with the king, raising the question of whether Harry might be positioning himself for a broader return to the family fold.

"Is the prodigal son returning?" Williams said, adding that Harry has done considerable damage to his public image by criticizing his family in the media and allowing Meghan to do the same, leaving a need for the couple to seek forgiveness.

Years of public criticism

The remarks tie into a broader pattern that has defined Harry and Meghan's public life since they stepped back from official royal duties in early 2020. The couple has spoken openly and repeatedly about their experiences within the royal family, most notably during a widely watched 2021 sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they alleged the royal family failed to offer adequate support when Meghan experienced depressive thoughts during her pregnancy.

Harry expanded on his account of life inside the royal family with the 2023 publication of his memoir, "Spare," in which he detailed his experiences as the second son of the monarch and offered a candid, at times unflattering, portrait of his relationships with senior royals.

Williams pointed to that broader pattern of public disclosure in her comments, saying that while the Sussex brand was once "full of promise," the couple has since "publicly ridiculed, criticized and spoken down about the institution" Harry once served.

Building a life outside the royal fold

Since leaving official royal duties, Harry and Meghan have pursued a range of independent business and media ventures, with mixed results. The couple signed a deal with Netflix that produced several projects, including a documentary centered on polo and the lifestyle cooking series "With Love, Meghan." That show aired for two seasons before it was canceled earlier this year after failing to break into the streamer's Top 10 rankings, a setback for the couple's broader media ambitions.

Meghan has also built out a solo business venture, launching her lifestyle brand As Ever last year. The label sells a range of home and pantry products, including jams, jellies, candles and flavored honey, as part of her effort to establish a commercial identity separate from her royal history.

A relationship still finding its footing

The July reunion at Highgrove marked one of the few public signs of a thaw between Harry and his father since the couple's 2020 departure from royal duties, a rift that deepened following the Oprah interview and the release of "Spare." King Charles' relationship with Harry has remained a subject of intense public interest in the years since, particularly as the king has continued treatment following his cancer diagnosis, a period during which royal watchers have closely tracked any signs of a possible reconciliation between father and son.

Whether the July visit represents a genuine step toward rebuilding the relationship, or a more limited, one-off gathering, remains unclear. Williams' comments suggest that from a public relations standpoint, any lasting reconciliation would likely require more than a single visit, particularly given the extent of the couple's public statements about the family in recent years.

Neither Buckingham Palace nor representatives for Harry and Meghan have issued detailed public comment on the state of the relationship following the July reunion, and it remains to be seen whether further meetings between Harry and his father, or between the wider family, will follow in the coming months.

For now, the episode adds another chapter to the closely watched and often contentious public narrative surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, whose relationship with the royal family has remained a subject of continued fascination in the years since their departure from official duties, even as both sides have offered occasional signals of a desire to move toward a more settled footing.