<\/p>\n
Meghan Markle is said to be holding on to her duchess title despite previously airing her struggles with royal life.<\/p>\n
Several royal experts said they were stunned to learn that the Duchess of Sussex allegedly had a staffer formally announce her by her royal title before a Harper\u2019s Bazaar cover interview. The move, experts claim, shows how tightly the 44-year-old is holding onto the prestige of her royal status \u2014 despite having stepped away from the monarchy years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not protocol, let alone royal protocol,\u201d British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
MEGHAN MARKLE\u2019S NETFLIX COMEBACK SNUBBED BY ROYALS, PALACE HAS \u2018FAR BIGGER PRIORITIES\u2019: EXPERTS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s bizarre and highlights that Meghan attaches enormous importance to her royal status. Meghan will cling to her Duchess of Sussex title<\/a> because it gives her a sense of importance. The title remains useful for Meghan\u2019s business activities, particularly in the United States. It gets people talking and keeps her in the limelight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing is for sure \u2014 she certainly keeps giving comedy writers fabulous content,\u201d Chard quipped. \u201cThey must be having a field day.\u201d<\/p>\n When describing her interaction with the former American actress in October, reporter Kaitlyn Greenidge wrote<\/a>, \u201cWe\u2019re in a grand brownstone on the Upper East Side that belongs to one of Meghan\u2019s friends. When I enter, the house manager announces, \u2018Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,\u2019 even though we appear to be the only other two people in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n WATCH: MEGHAN MARKLE WILL NEVER WIN OVER THE U.K. PUBLIC AGAIN, AUTHOR CLAIMS<\/strong><\/p>\n Previously, when they met at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles<\/a>, Greenidge described a golf cart pulling up before someone announced, \u201cThe Duchess of Sussex.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing she does is by accident,\u201d British royals expert Hilary Fordwich<\/a> told Fox News Digital. \u201cThis was very intentional. Instructions were given, so it appears she was making a point \u2014 sadly for her, probably not the point she intended. The use of her royal title is beyond pretentious. It\u2019s hypocritical at best.\u201d<\/p>\n A week before the meeting, Greenidge and Meghan held court at a prime table in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel \u2014 perfectly positioned to be seen by other diners. Greenidge later called it a \u201ccalculated choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Toward the end of the interview, a waiter brought an unsolicited cappuccino featuring foam with a photorealistic image of Meghan. \u201cOh. I recognize this picture \u2014 that\u2019s from our trip to South Africa,\u201d the \u201cSuits\u201d alum allegedly said, referring to her 2019 tour of the country with Prince Harry<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat this story shows is how attached to her royal links Meghan is,\u201d royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. \u201cThe scene where the title is used when there are only two people in the room highlights this. It just seems comical. It is, however, perfectly correct for her to use it when announced before meeting a group of children in Los Angeles \u2014 but that\u2019s not exactly egalitarian.\u201d<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Fitzwilliams noted that, according to protocol, the reporter should have been announced rather than the duchess.<\/p>\n \u201cMeghan would likely argue that this particular instance was an innocent moment she didn\u2019t expect to see in print,\u201d royal commentator Kinsey Schofield, host of the YouTube series \u201cKinsey Schofield Unfiltered,\u201d told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, Meghan had a similar issue earlier this year when she sent Jamie Kern Lima a gift basket and signed it \u2018HRH Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,\u2019\u201d Schofield said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHer team argued it was a private gift, so it didn\u2019t violate royal rules. But the basket included some of Meghan\u2019s products, and critics felt there was a violation. When Jamie shared the post on social media, some interpreted it as a way of promoting Meghan\u2019s ventures \u2014 with her titles clearly on display.\u201d<\/p>\n Meghan became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Harry, grandson of the late Queen Elizabeth II<\/a>, in 2018. The couple stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing unbearable media intrusions and a lack of support from the family.\u00a0<\/p>\n After moving to California, the couple spoke publicly about their struggles in interviews and documentaries. Harry\u2019s 2023 memoir, \u201cSpare,\u201d<\/a> further strained his relationship with the royal family.<\/p>\n Meghan\u2019s title was a hot topic earlier this year when her Netflix series, \u201cWith Love, Meghan,\u201d premiered in March. In one episode, guest Mindy Kaling referred to her as \u201cMeghan Markle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou keep saying, \u2018Meghan Markle.\u2019 You know I\u2019m \u2018Sussex\u2019 now,\u201d Meghan replied. \u201cI share my [\u2018Sussex\u2019] name with my children. I didn\u2019t know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to say, \u2018This is our family name.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Harry and Meghan remain legally entitled to their royal titles<\/a>. Using \u201cSussex\u201d as their family name is allowed under royal convention. However, they agreed not to use the His\/Her Royal Highness styling publicly and not to use the \u201cSussex Royal\u201d brand for commercial purposes.<\/p>\n Schofield warned that Meghan is \u201cwalking a fine line by flaunting her title commercially.\u201d She noted that since leaving royal duties, Meghan has rebranded herself as an entrepreneur in California. In February, she launched her lifestyle brand, As Ever.<\/p>\n \u201cMeghan spoke to the publication to promote her business ventures, blurring the lines of appropriate title use,\u201d Schofield explained. \u201cEven if no formal rule was broken, the optics are poor \u2014 especially given the tightrope the Sussexes agreed to walk after stepping back from royal life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHarry and Meghan aren\u2019t supposed to use their titles for profit, but they obviously do,\u201d Schofield added. \u201cHarry is being paid for an appearance at a Hilton in Toronto<\/a> next month \u2014 not for his real estate expertise. These are the types of incidents the royal family hoped to avoid when rejecting the couple\u2019s half-in, half-out proposal. Anything resembling cash for access or commercial endorsement threatens the monarchy\u2019s credibility. The institution must appear selfless and community-focused to maintain public trust.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy contrast, Harry and Meghan often come across as unusually self-focused, eager to attach themselves to any opportunity that elevates their profile,\u201d Schofield continued. \u201cIt creates a jarring juxtaposition. Their behavior continues to strain ties with the royal family, which has no interest in being linked to the Sussexes\u2019 business ventures. The more Meghan and Harry blur the line between royal status and commercial ambition, the greater the distance the institution will put between them.\u201d<\/p>\n Chard said she\u2019s certain this won\u2019t be the last time Meghan\u2019s royal titles make headlines.<\/p>\n \u201cMeghan loves the pomp, sparkle and drama,\u201d Chard claimed. \u201cShe works on the premise that all publicity is good publicity. Visibility is her thing \u2014 but it can also lead to the collapse of a person or brand.\u201d<\/p>\n