Since Meghan Markle stepped into the global spotlight as Prince Harry’s partner, her every move has been scrutinized, debated, and often criticized. A narrative that has persisted since her departure from royal duties in 2020 is that she “always played the victim” and was looking for a way out of the Royal Family from the very beginning. This perspective, voiced by royal experts and commentators, paints Meghan as a calculated figure who never intended to fully embrace her role as the Duchess of Sussex. However, as we delve deeper into her journey, the story reveals layers of complexity, cultural disconnect, and institutional challenges that suggest her exit may not have been as premeditated as some claim. With With Love, Meghan recently premiering on Netflix and a new documentary from Victoria Beckham vying for attention, Meghan’s past decisions remain a hot topic in May 2025.

The narrative of Meghan as a “victim” who orchestrated her exit began gaining traction shortly after she and Prince Harry announced their decision to step back as senior royals in January 2020, a move dubbed “Megxit” by the media. Veteran royal correspondent Valentine Low, speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show in February 2024, argued that Meghan had been casting herself as a victim from the start. Low pointed to her early days in the Royal Family, where she showed immense potential through initiatives like the Grenfell community kitchen cookbook, which sold globally and highlighted her ability to bring fresh energy to royal duties. “She did some very interesting things,” Low noted, citing her enthusiasm for Commonwealth roles and her engagement with the public during the 2019 South Africa tour. Yet, behind the scenes, he claimed, Meghan was picking fights and positioning herself as a victim, a sentiment echoed by some palace insiders who felt she was unwilling to adapt to the monarchy’s rigid structure.

Low’s perspective aligns with a broader sentiment that Meghan was unprepared for the realities of royal life and unwilling to conform. When her engagement to Harry was announced in November 2017, she spoke confidently in a television interview about taking on Commonwealth roles, suggesting she was well-briefed and eager to contribute. However, her transition into the Royal Family was far from smooth. As an American, a former actress, and a biracial woman, Meghan faced unique challenges within an institution steeped in tradition and protocol. Her marriage to Harry in May 2018 was hailed as a progressive moment for the monarchy, with the wedding ceremony watched by an estimated 1.9 billion people and celebrated for its “bicultural blackness.” Yet, the media’s fascination with her background quickly turned into a barrage of criticism, often tinged with racial undertones, as noted in a 2016 MailOnline article titled “(Almost) Straight Outta Compton,” which prompted a rare statement from Harry’s team condemning the coverage.

Meghan’s struggles with the British press and the palace’s lack of support were laid bare in her 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, where she revealed having suicidal thoughts during her time as a working royal. “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore,” she told Oprah, describing how she sought help but was told by the palace’s HR department that she couldn’t get it because she wasn’t a paid employee. She also recounted a disturbing conversation relayed by Harry, in which a royal family member expressed concerns about how dark their son Archie’s skin might be. These revelations shocked viewers and fueled the narrative that Meghan was a victim of an unyielding institution. However, critics like Low argue that Meghan leaned too heavily into this victimhood, using it as a justification to exit the Royal Family rather than working within its constraints.

The idea that Meghan was “looking for a way out from the start” has been a recurring theme among detractors. Posts on X over the years have reflected this sentiment, with users claiming Meghan was “outraged” at being subservient to Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and that she wanted to change royal protocols to suit her own vision. Some, like royal author Tina Brown, have been harsher, suggesting Meghan has an “unerring instinct for getting it wrong.” Brown, commenting on Meghan’s Netflix series With Love, Meghan in March 2025, called it a display of “fake perfection” at a time when audiences crave authenticity. Others, however, see Meghan’s departure as a response to a system that failed to support her. In their 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, she explained that she entered royal life “naively,” unaware of the intense scrutiny and lack of protection she would face. Harry, too, has spoken about the “invisible contract” between the royals and the press, a dynamic that often left Meghan vulnerable to racist and antagonistic coverage.

Meghan’s critics argue that her actions post-Megxit—such as the Oprah interview, the Netflix docuseries, and Harry’s memoir Spare—demonstrate a desire for attention that contradicts her claims of wanting privacy. “How far will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle go to portray themselves as victims—while living a life of grandeur?” one user questioned on X in 2023. Yet, this perspective overlooks the couple’s stated goal of financial independence and their efforts to build a new life in the U.S. Since leaving the Royal Family, they’ve launched a charitable network, signed media deals, and focused on projects like Meghan’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, and her cooking show. These ventures suggest a deliberate pivot away from royal drama, though her ties to the monarchy continue to shape public perception, as PR expert Evan Nierman noted in April 2025: “Whatever she does to distance herself, it comes back to Buckingham Palace.”

The timing of Meghan’s latest project has only intensified scrutiny. Her cooking show, With Love, Meghan, premiered on March 4, 2025, just as Victoria Beckham announced a Netflix documentary about her 30-year career. The overlap has reignited rumors of a feud between the two women, who were once close—Victoria attended Meghan and Harry’s 2018 wedding and gifted her luxury items early in their relationship. However, their bond reportedly cooled, and Brooklyn Beckham’s comments in 2025 about his family’s closer ties to Prince William have added fuel to the fire. Some speculate that Victoria’s documentary is a deliberate attempt to overshadow Meghan, though there’s no concrete evidence to support this claim. Instead, the competition highlights the challenges Meghan faces in carving out her own space, as her every move is filtered through the “royal lens,” as PR expert Mark Borkowski described.

Meghan’s journey raises broader questions about the monarchy’s ability to adapt to modern expectations. Her initial enthusiasm for royal duties, as seen in her work with the Grenfell kitchen and her South Africa tour, suggests she was willing to engage—on her terms. But the institution’s rigid structure, coupled with relentless media scrutiny, may have made her role untenable. Royal author Sally Bedell Smith has argued that Meghan and Harry need a “concrete plan” to succeed in Hollywood, where royal titles alone aren’t enough. Yet, Meghan’s divisiveness might work to her advantage, as some experts suggest. Her polarizing presence keeps her in the conversation, whether she’s launching a cooking show or advocating for social issues like paid family leave, as she did in 2021.

As of May 12, 2025, Meghan remains a lightning rod for debate. Was she a victim of an unforgiving system, or did she orchestrate her exit from the start? The truth likely lies somewhere in between—a woman who entered royal life with optimism but found herself at odds with an institution unprepared for her perspective. Her story challenges us to reconsider the narratives we accept about public figures, especially those who don’t fit the mold. Whether With Love, Meghan will redefine her image or Victoria Beckham’s documentary will steal the spotlight, one thing is clear: Meghan Markle’s journey is far from over, and the world will be watching her next move.