Royals 'living on edge' and keeping 'close eye' on Meghan Markle years after Megxit

Hannah Furnell Sat, August 1, 2026 at 11:41 PM UTC

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A former royal butler thinks the Royal Family is keeping a 'close eye' on Meghan Markle years after Megxit (Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The Royal Family is likely keeping a "close eye" on Meghan Markle years after Megxit, a royal expert claims.

The 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex's life changed forever when she met Prince Harry, 41, on a blind date in London in July 2016. They married two years later and quickly became successful working royals. However, in 2020, they decided to "step back as 'senior' members" of the Royal Family in what is now known as Megxit. They cited intense tabloid pressure and restrictions imposed by the Royal Family, specifically the prevention of their developing the "SussexRoyal" brand.

After the Sandringham Summit, it was agreed that Meghan and Harry could keep their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, but were no longer allowed to use their "Royal Highness" styles. Years later, former royal butler Grant Harrold believes that the Royal Family has been watching Meghan in case she chooses to jeopardize the fragile trust she has with them.

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Speaking on behalf of Vettory, Harrold - who worked for King Charles between 2004 and 2011 and also served Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Harry - told the Express US, "Anything Meghan Markle does going forward will affect the Royal Family, and they will be keeping a close eye on her.

He continued, "If she uses her title in any of her business ventures, it will be frowned upon, especially when it comes to making money."

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Harrold added, "However, if she uses her title for her charity work, they won't have an issue with it. There will only be a problem if she uses it for her personal brand. The late Queen was very, very clear about this point when negotiating the terms of 'Megxit' back in 2020."

The former royal butler added that Meghan has a lot to lose if she suddenly uses her royal titles in her business endeavors.

He explained, "If she uses her royal title in ways they deem unacceptable, she's at risk of breaking her in-laws' trust yet again - and I don't know how many more times this can happen before they cut ties completely."

There's also one royal Harrold believes is waiting for Meghan to slip up. He said, "I imagine William is living on edge, just waiting for something else to happen. It's possible that she will distance herself more if she continues with the kind of appearances and business ventures we have seen in the past few years."

Still, the royal insider doesn't think Meghan would risk her and her husband's already fractured relationship with the Royal Family on something as little as a title.

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He said, "Realistically, how much value is actually in using their titles now? Everyone knows who they are and is well aware of their royal status. I wouldn't think Meghan using her title really adds enough to the financial gain to risk relations with the family."

Grant Harrold doesn't think Meghan would jeopardize her and Harry's relationship with the royals (Image: Getty Images)

Harrold concluded, "With things slowly but surely seeming to be improving between Harry and his father, it would be a real shame for business deals and title rows to spoil it. Their trip to the UK earlier in the summer was a real success. Hopefully both Meghan and Harry are aware of this and take it into consideration when negotiating future business deals."

Harrold previously told LadBible that Meghan "absolutely had a chance" during her early days in the Royal Family despite her doubts.

"I think when Meghan arrived, she probably realized the role wasn't quite what she imagined," he said of the mother of two, adding, "It's a very regimented institution with long hours. She absolutely had a chance at the beginning."

Harry and Meghan moved to California in June 2020, announcing that they wanted space to raise Archie. Later, Lilibet was born there in 2021. Meanwhile, the couple no longer has an official UK residence. They were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, a Grade-II listed property on the Windsor estate.

When they stepped down as senior royals, King Charles gave them "a substantial sum" to help establish their new life, per the BBC.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left royal duties behind in 2020 (Image: ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Meghan is said to have particular "regrets" about how she and Harry stepped back as senior members of the Royal Family, per Grazia. According to a Los Angeles royal commentator, the former actress "does regret certain statements that she made."

As per reports, Meghan's comments "weren't received in the way that she had expected and several of her comments have backfired."

The source claimed Meghan has remorse over the "royal racist controversy," which the insider said she and Harry "deeply regret."

During their March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan and Harry claimed that "concerns and conversations" occurred regarding how dark Archie's skin might be before he was born.

"Meghan wanted the takeaway from their Oprah interview to be about her mental health, and I think Meghan regretted sitting down with The Cut [in 2022] because she provided endless commentary for her critics," they added.

Since the bombshell interviews in the early days of their post-royal life, Meghan has introduced a lifestyle brand named As Ever and produced major streaming projects through their Netflix partnership, including the docuseries Harry & Meghan and the lifestyle series With Love, Meghan.

Meanwhile, she has established the non-profit organization Archewell alongside Harry to support community, mental health, and social equity initiatives.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”