Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have experienced a number of highs and lows this year. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their second child, a daughter they named Lilibet Diana, and they also had several victories in court, though these victories were often preceded by embarrassing revelations, especially for Markle.
Just a few months after their second child was born, the royal couple issued a rare statement after rumors began swirling about baby Lilibet’s christening, and where it would take place.
A palace veteran went on the record about the leak of Meghan Markle’s text messages and claimed that only someone high up in the royal family could have approved their exposure. In fact, the high-ranking former courtier claimed that only Prince William could have been responsible for the leak.
Prince Harry faced a wave of censure this year for his partnership with Netflix after the streaming service giant premiered the controversial Princess Diana: The Musical. Critics called for Harry to resign or otherwise cancel his multimillion-dollar contract with Netflix over the apparent disrespect shown to his late mother.
Harry and Markle have faced more than their fair share of scandal this year, but here are the biggest news stories about the royal renegades we’ve encountered so far in 2021.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Make Rare Statement Regarding Daughter Lilibet’s Christening
After the birth of Lilibet Diana, tabloids began speculating about where the baby girl would be christened. While some of her royal cousins were christened in London, in keeping with family tradition, some tabloids theorized that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would go the non-traditional route. There were even reports that the two were considering a “Hollywood christening,” complete with big-name stars.
As a result of those rampant rumors, Markle and Harry issued a rare statement about their young daughter via a spokesperson, which can be read here.
Prince William Approved Meghan Markle Text Message Exposure, Palace Veteran Claims
This year, Meghan Markle had a major court victory after a court ruled that her privacy was violated by major U.K. publisher The Mail On Sunday over the publication of a heartfelt letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle. Following that initial victory, the publisher filed an appeal, using text messages the Duchess of Sussex sent her then-communications secretary. A palace veteran weighed in on the leaked messages, revealing that Prince William had likely approved their exposure.
Learn why the royal insider thought Prince William had his hand in the scandal, and why these messages were so potentially damaging for Markle, by clicking here.
Prince Harry Facing Calls To Resign After Netflix Premieres ‘Diana: The Musical’
A controversial musical about the life of Princess Diana that premiered this fall on Netflix led to calls for Prince Harry to resign. Critics called out the prince for his seeming hypocrisy after he remained silent about the widely criticized musical, though he and his brother William typically go after those who try to profit off of the late Princess Diana’s memory.
Read more about what the critic had to say, and why the musical’s portrayal of both Princess Diana and the rest of the royal family received so much backlash, by clicking here.