A Public Image of Success, But Behind the Scenes, a Troubled Reality
To the casual observer, Prince Harry and Meghan’s recent Australia tour appeared to be a resounding success. The Duchess’ elegant dresses were snapped up within seconds, and her scented candles, inspired by her children’s birthdates, generated significant free advertising. However, according to insiders, the couple is “wildly unhappy” as they come to terms with the challenges of their future.
This future seems increasingly difficult, especially given Meghan’s notable absence from this year’s Met Gala. The former Suits star was nowhere to be seen, despite her recent foray into the world of fashion. There was a time when Anna Wintour, co-chair of the Met Gala and global chief content officer of Vogue, would have gone out of her way to invite members of the royal family to the prestigious event. However, it is now claimed that Meghan has a long-standing feud with Wintour, with one source telling the Daily Mail that “Anna hates her.”
Despite this tension, Meghan could benefit from forging a better relationship with Wintour, especially considering her commercial ventures. She recently launched a line of outfits worn during meetings with survivors of the Bondi Beach massacre on an AI shopping platform she invested in. This move highlights the need for strategic alliances in the fashion world.
On May 2, Alison Boshoff wrote in the Daily Mail that the Sussexes no longer have the support of powerful protectors who could help them navigate the commercial world. This is a significant statement about the choices they made when they stepped away from the Royal Family.
“Put simply, it means in the circles that matter, Meghan and Harry no longer have any bridges left to burn,” Boshoff writes. According to sources, this realization is having a profound impact on both the Duke and Duchess.
“The whole thing about her [As Ever] stuff selling out isn’t true any more,” one insider told Boshoff. “I don’t think either of them are happy.”
Adding to their struggles is the fact that Harry has reportedly spent a significant portion of the estimated $20 million inheritance he received from Princess Diana and the Queen. One source speculated to royal expert Dan Wakeford that the couple has “five years, roughly” before their lifestyle changes significantly.
For Meghan, who grew up in a modest home in California, this situation may not have been what she expected when she married into royalty. Another source told Wakeford that the couple is “wildly unhappy.”
“The picture that emerges is of a strategy and a commercial operation in freefall,” writes royal expert Tom Sykes on The Royalist substack. “The fashion deals haven’t materialised. The brand partnerships haven’t come. The big names – Balenciaga, Dior, Chanel – have not called.”
Another former advocate who is said to have “cooled” on the Duchess is Serena Williams. She attended the Met Gala and posed with Edward Enninful, the former British Vogue editor. While this might seem harmless, it is reported that Meghan’s long-time friendship with Enninful ended after he allegedly snubbed her expectation to appear on the magazine’s cover.
“At a night like the Met Gala, nothing about who you stand beside is accidental – it is one of the most carefully observed stages in the celebrity world,” an insider told Radar Online. “Serena choosing to spend so much time in close formation with Emma [Thynn] and Edward, both of whom have been linked to a cooling in their relationships with Meghan, inevitably reads as more than coincidence.”
Whether she intended it that way or not, the visual narrative suggests a shift in loyalties, or at the very least a rebalancing of where those personal alliances now sit. You have to remember how intertwined Serena and Meghan’s public images once were – they were regularly framed as confidantes, almost a united front navigating fame and scrutiny together. So when Serena appears in such a high-profile setting and that connection is absent, replaced instead by other prominent friendships, people are going to read into it.
