(Image: X/CBS Sunday)
Prince Harry’s recent actions have sparked widespread criticism, with many royal experts suggesting that the public sentiment is shifting away from the Duke of Sussex. In a podcast discussion on The Royals with Roya and Kate, royal editors Kate Mansey and Roya Nikkhah analyzed Harry’s so-called ‘triple snub’ and how it has further alienated him from both the Royal Family and public favor.
During the podcast, Kate Mansey was the first to acknowledge the growing backlash against Harry. She remarked, “The tide does seem to be turning, you know. Obviously, we’ve had the former Spotify exec come out and say that they were grifters. We’ve had that South Park episode, in which… you know, even worse than being criticized, they were ridiculed.”
Mansey’s comments refer to several notable public moments where Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, faced mockery or disdain. One of the most prominent of these was a former Spotify executive labeling the couple as “grifters” after the cancellation of their podcast deal. This sentiment only fueled existing skepticism about the couple’s post-royal ventures, raising questions about the substance of their projects.
The next point of contention was an episode of South Park that satirized the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In the episode, they are depicted as the “Prince and Princess of Canada” embarking on a “Worldwide Privacy Tour.” The portrayal, which mocked their frequent public appearances despite their insistence on privacy, struck a chord with many viewers. Mansey noted the particularly harsh tone of the episode, adding, “You know, they were prince and princess of Canada on their Worldwide Privacy Tour, and I think that, you know, that… there were reports they were going to sue South Park over that…”
Though the couple did not take legal action against the show, the incident added fuel to the narrative that Harry and Meghan were becoming objects of ridicule, rather than figures of respect or sympathy.
The third and perhaps most personal snub involved Prince Harry’s bid to accept the Pat Tillman Award for Courage, an honor recognizing his work with the Invictus Games. The award is named after Pat Tillman, a former NFL player who left his sports career to serve in the U.S. Army and was tragically killed in action.
However, controversy arose when Tillman’s mother expressed doubts about Harry as the award’s recipient, suggesting there were “recipients that are far more fitting.” This public comment struck a particularly painful note, as it challenged Harry’s credibility in an area where he has long championed the well-being of veterans.
Together, these three incidents—the Spotify deal fallout, the South Park parody, and the criticism over the Pat Tillman Award—have contributed to the growing sentiment that public and media support for Harry may be dwindling. Royal experts like Mansey and Nikkhah believe these moments are indicative of a larger shift in how the Duke and Duchess are perceived.
With the continued scrutiny of Harry and Meghan’s decisions and projects, it remains to be seen how they will navigate the challenges posed by both the media and the public. For now, as Mansey suggested, “The tide does seem to be turning.”
