Meghan Markle has seemingly been the target of constant criticism when it comes to her place in the royal family, especially since she and Prince Harry stepped down as senior members of the brood in 2020. The topic came up on Celebrity Big Brother (UK), on which Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary Goldsmith is a contestant, as he slammed the Suits star for breaking up “the threesome” of Prince William, Prince Harry and Kate. These new comments come as the Duchess of Sussex herself opened up about haters online and when things were the worst for her.
Meghan Markle Said Bullying Was Worst During Her Pregnancies
Social media was a big part of the discussion at the panel on “Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen" at South by Southwest on March 8, where Meghan Markle was one of the keynote speakers. She opened up about the hate she has received and revealed that it really peaked when she was pregnant. Markle told the SXSW audience (via ET):
I keep my distance from it right now just for my own well-being, but the bulk of the bullying and abuse that I was experiencing on social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and Lili. You just think about that and to really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful. It's not catty. It's cruel. And why would would [sic] do that, certainly, when you're pregnant with a newborn, we all know as moms it's such a tender and sacred time.
The mom of two seemed incredulous that people could be so cruel during such a sacred time in her life, and now — with Archie 4 years old and Lilibet 2 — the Duchess said she isn’t very active on those platforms, which she said can have a positive impact but also can potentially have a “tremendously negative effect on someone's mental health [and] their physical safety.”
The actress may be able to largely avoid the negativity, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t still talking.
Kate Middleton’s Uncle Slams Meghan Markle For Breaking Up "The Threesome"
It didn’t take long for Gary Goldsmith to weigh in on the most controversial member of the royal family after making his debut on the U.K.’s version of Celebrity Big Brother. Kate Middleton’s uncle unsurprisingly lauded the Prince and Princess of Wales as the “savior[s] of the royal family,” via US Weekly, while lamenting what happened when Meghan Markle started dating Prince Harry. Goldsmith said:
I have the opinion that Harry was really, really, really loved, massively loved, and when they were a threesome — so Kate, William and Harry — they were really comfortable together, loved. And then suddenly there’s an extra dynamic that comes in, puts a stick in the spokes and creates so much drama that I don’t generally think is there, and rewrote the history and said how unhappy [Harry] was, and I just don’t think that’s fair. And then you can’t throw your family under a bus in such a dramatic style and then write books about it and expect to be invited round for Christmas.
Prince William and Kate Middleton started dating in 2003, more than a decade before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met in 2016. That’s a long time for Harry to bond with his sister-in-law. But, of course, the dynamics would change when he met the woman who would become his wife.
The Netflix series Harry & Meghan, as well as allegations made in Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare haven’t done his relationships any favors. Kate Middleton didn’t escape the mud-slinging, either, as the Duke of Sussex said she had a role in his wearing a controversial Nazi costume to a party in 2005.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reportedly reached out to Kate Middleton amid her recent hospitalization, but it’s unknown if the gesture is a sign that a reconciliation is still possible. Markle was not present when Prince Harry returned to the UK following King Charles’ cancer diagnosis.
While we wait to see if fences can be mended, you can take a look at the Sussex’s docuseries Harry & Meghan, which can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.
