Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary on Friday and their union will need to be as strong as ever as they weather the media storm.
“If you were a PR executive who took on Harry and Meghan a day after they got married, it would be almost difficult to embark on a strategy to remove them from their popularity in the way they have,” royal commentator Duncan Larcombe told Fox News Digital. “It would be hard to have done it deliberately and strategically. Now… the relationship with the British public has disappeared.”
The American actress, who starred in the legal drama “Suits,” became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince on May 19, 2018, at Windsor Castle. It seemed like a real-life fairy tale, and the pair was celebrated as the new, youthful face of the British monarchy as Markle also brought a touch of Hollywood glamour to the royal family.
However, those dreams quickly crumbled when the couple made their royal exit in 2020. At the time, they alleged that palace officials were insensitive to Markle’s mental health struggles as she attempted to navigate royal life. The couple also claimed that the duchess, 41, faced racist attitudes from the U.K. press, which contributed to their decision to leave the country.
But life for the couple hasn’t been a happily-ever-after. Most recently, reps for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they were pursued by photographers in a “near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.” The incident occurred Tuesday night after the duchess was honored at the Women of Vision Awards in New York City.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” the couple’s spokesperson said. “While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams criticized the “reckless and irresponsible” incident during a press conference, but also said he found it “hard to believe” a “two-hour, high-speed chase” happened in the densely-populated city wrought with traffic, pedestrians and ongoing construction projects.
