What was the ‘turning point’ in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship with fans in US? Experts weigh in

Royal experts have opened up on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s “turning point” in their relationship with supporters in America.

Nana Akua, GBN America presenter, has opened up on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s “turning point” in their relationship with supporters in America. Although the couple has grown their royal brand after stepping down as senior royals and moving to Montecito, California, they have maintained their distance with the royal family. Meghan has also stayed distant from her father, Thomas Markle, publicly.

Akua has now claimed that the “turning point” in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s popularity with American fans is how they treated both King Charles and Thomas when the two were ill. “All the different things that Meghan did and also Harry, a lot of them could have almost been excused. But I actually think that it was when the King was ill,” Akua said.

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“And also the fact that Meghan is not going to see her dad since he’s been sick. She’s not contacted him apparently, as far as we know,” she added.

Akua compared how Meghan treated Thomas to how Harry treated Charles after his cancer diagnosis, and said that the Duchess “hasn’t bothered” with her dad even though he was dealing with various health woes. “He had the stroke and she didn’t bother seeing him. The difference with Harry when the King was ill, Harry went to see the King,” Akua said. “Even your own husband must be looking at you thinking, ‘you’re not going to go and see your dad?’.”

‘There have been so many things, I think it’s been cumulative’

Meanwhile, US commentator Lee Cohen said during the same show that as an American citizen, he too was “excited about Meghan Markle in the beginning,” but is “not team Meghan” any longer. On being asked what caused Harry and Meghan’s popularity to diminish in the US, he said, “There have been so many things, I think it’s been cumulative. But I think that Harry’s memoir, where he absolutely slammed Queen Camilla, Kate, and his own father. Even his own beloved grandparents were mentioned.

“And Americans, like everyone else in the world, held the Duke of Edinburgh and the late, beloved Queen in such high regard,” Cohen added.

Commentator Lizzie Cundy agreed, saying Americans “do not like when people moan.” Referring to Meghan’s criticism of the royal family, Cundy said, “She thought she was going to be this Hollywood princess. And sadly, when you’re a royal, you have to put the work in. Look at Princess Anne, one of our hardest working royals, and King Charles and Kate. They do it so effortlessly. She did nothing but whinge and moan.”