Meghan Markle
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Meghan Markle has been accused of being 'obsessed' with the Royal Family after claims on Danica Goes Global on Sky News Australia suggested she used the forbidden 'HRH' styling in correspondence linked to a business move. The comments centred on Meghan's reported habit of leaning on her royal status in branding and private communications despite no longer being a working royal.

The controversy follows earlier claims that Meghan sent a gift basket to a podcast host containing a card signed 'With the compliments of HRH, Duchess of Sussex'. The use of 'HRH' is especially sensitive because Buckingham Palace made clear after Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in early 2020 that they would no longer use the His or Her Royal Highness style, although they retained the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. None of the latest claims has been independently verified, and there has been no official comment from the Sussexes' camp.

Claims Of Royal Fixation

Meghan became part of the Royal Family in 2018 when she married Prince Harry in a wedding watched around the world. Less than two years later, the couple announced they would step back as senior royals and later moved to California, where they have built a new life through production deals, a podcast and a lifestyle brand.

That commercial work is now under fresh scrutiny. Sky News presenter Samara Gill accused Meghan of being fixated on exploiting royal branding, suggesting she was trying to 'coast off the royal titles.' Gill argued that Meghan was seeking both validation and financial gain from her links to the monarchy.

'I think she does want the validation, but she also wants to continue to coast off the royal titles,' Gill said. She described Meghan's alleged private use of 'HRH' on letter headings as 'one of the most damning and heartbreaking things for the royal family to have to witness,' and said palace figures were said to have learned of it only after the fact.

Gill went further, saying: 'She's obsessed with the Royal Family, and she's obsessed with the cash grab that she can make off it.' The language was blunt even by the standards of royal commentary, and reflects the hardening tone among critics of the couple's post-royal ventures.

Palace Frustration

Express cited a report claiming there is growing frustration in palace circles over the way Meghan Markle continues to present herself. According to the source quoted, some close to the monarchy believe she wants 'all the glamour, symbolism and commercial power that comes with royal status' without the obligations of working royal life.

The insider was also quoted as saying critics think Meghan 'continues using the royal connection because she understands it remains the foundation of her global celebrity and business value.' As with many palace briefings, the remarks cannot be independently confirmed, and the insider's exact proximity to senior royals is not disclosed.

That line of criticism echoes a long-running concern among royal traditionalists, who argue that titles meant for constitutional and charitable roles are being turned into marketing tools. The focus on the disputed 'HRH' styling has sharpened that argument, even though the alleged card and correspondence have not been made public.

Meghan's defenders would point out that she remains legally the Duchess of Sussex, a title granted by the late Queen, and that using it on projects or branding is not, on its face, against any stated rule. So far, there has also been no public reprimand from Buckingham Palace.

Gill also pointed to Meghan's line in her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, where she said she is 'a Sussex now.' The presenter suggested Meghan was trying to shift how the public refers to her, though she noted that the attempt has not really caught on.

For now, Meghan lives in California with Prince Harry and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, while her use of royal branding remains a flashpoint for critics. With no fresh statement from Buckingham Palace or the Sussexes, the row over the reported 'HRH' gift card remains unconfirmed and sits squarely in the familiar space between royal protocol, personal branding and public dispute.

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