Meghan Markle Accused of 'Dangling' Archie, Lilibet 'Like a Carrot' Over King Charles

Meghan Markle is facing fresh criticism after she and Prince Harry brought Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to Highgrove House in Gloucestershire on Friday 10 July, where King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted a rare family gathering.

Commentators have claimed the visit, the children's first UK appearance in years, was driven less by reconciliation and more by money, accusing Meghan of 'dangling' the royal grandchildren 'like a carrot' over the King.

For context, the Highgrove reunion marked the first time Charles has seen Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, since 2022, following years of very public tension between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family after their move to California and the fallout from Harry & Meghan, Spare and their subsequent media projects.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the private gathering at the King's country residence, but no official photographs were released, reinforcing that this was framed as a family occasion rather than a formal royal engagement.

Meghan Markle Highgrove Visit Sparks Fury Over Motives

TalkTV presenter Mark Dolan was one of the first to underline how symbolic Meghan's presence at Highgrove was, arguing that her decision to step back onto royal turf represents a striking shift from her previous insistence that she would never return to the UK unless 'someone was going to put a crown on her head.'

Digital Spy editor Sarah-Louise Robertson echoed the point, telling viewers the meeting was 'something that no one could have predicted a couple of years ago,' given Meghan's earlier stance on staying in California and distancing herself from royal life.

It can be recalled that when Harry and Meghan negotiated their exit from frontline royal duties in 2020, the couple appeared confident their American move would unlock a steady stream of lucrative commercial deals and production projects.

According to Robertson, that vision has not materialised in the way Meghan allegedly imagined when she was 'working out Megxit,' and she believes the couple's finances are now a driving force behind the renewed contact with the King.

She told TalkTV viewers that 'it always comes back to finances with these two', adding that 'the coffers are drying up' and that Meghan, in her view, is now 'astute' to the benefits of having the monarch back on side.

Sarah-Louise went further, alleging that Meghan and Harry are using Archie and Lilibet as leverage, describing the grandchildren as being 'dangled like a carrot over the King's head as a way to keep him on side.'

King Charles, Meghan Markle And The 'Gift' Of Grandchildren

To recall, King Charles chose Highgrove, his private country retreat, rather than a London palace for the reunion, offering the Sussex family a degree of privacy away from the usual cameras and crowds.

Royal commentators have noted that the venue decision, and confirmation from Buckingham Palace that the meeting took place, indicate the King's personal desire to see his son and grandchildren despite unresolved tensions.

Robertson argued that Meghan now realises 'what a gift she had' when she effectively 'was almost given the keys to the castle' upon marrying Harry in 2018, only to 'throw it all away' in pursuit of becoming 'a big Hollywood star.'

That Hollywood track, she claimed, 'hasn't worked out' as Meghan hoped, leading to a recalibration of strategy in which re-entering Charles's good books is viewed as 'the answer to all her problems.'

IBTimes UK cannot independently verify these assertions about Meghan's private thinking, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt.

At the same time, Robertson drew a sharp line between Meghan's alleged priorities and Harry's. In her assessment, the Duke of Sussex is 'yearning' to be back in the UK and 'missing England,' with the California dream having faded for him long before it did for Meghan.

Harry, she suggested, is less focused on the 'cash' or 'kudos' linked to royal association, instead wanting to rebuild ties with his family and restore some kind of normal footing with his father.

That portrait of Harry squares with his earlier comments in a BBC interview about wanting reconciliation and not wanting to 'continue to fight,' although, as ever, only Harry himself can fully speak to his motives.

Meghan Markle's Chocolate Brand Enters The Frame

For starters, Meghan has not only returned to royal soil, she has also brought her latest lifestyle venture along for the ride. In parallel with the Highgrove visit, the Duchess has been promoting a limited-edition chocolate collection with her brand @aseverofficial, a collaboration featuring curated bars developed with Los Angeles chocolatier Jonathan Grahm.

Social media posts linked to the project describe the set as a 'gorgeous, limited-edition' trio designed to 'spark a little sweet nostalgia,' a pitch squarely aimed at the same affluent, wellness-oriented demographic that has long been central to Meghan's commercial positioning.

It can be recalled that Meghan has repeatedly leveraged personal storytelling and royal-adjacent glamour in her business ventures, from With Love, Meghan content to lifestyle tie-ins.

Against that backdrop, some critics now question whether turning up at Highgrove with Harry and the children, while also keeping a new chocolate launch in circulation, risks blending family reconciliation with brand-building in a way that feels uncomfortably transactional.

There is no evidence, at this stage, that the chocolate collection formed any formal part of the visit agenda, and no official readout suggests King Charles discussed her commercial projects at Highgrove.

On social media, reactions to the reunion have split broadly into two camps. Royal supporters who have long urged a thaw in relations welcomed the King's decision to host the Sussexes and praised the chance for Archie and Lilibet to spend time with their grandfather away from the spotlight.

Critics, meanwhile, seized on Robertson's 'dangling like a carrot' remark as shorthand for what they see as Meghan's pattern of using royal ties when convenient, then distancing herself when scrutiny grows too intense.

The debate, in other words, is less about whether Charles should see his grandchildren, and more about the story people tell themselves about why Meghan chose this moment, and this house, to reappear.

Nothing is confirmed yet so everything should be taken with a grain of salt.