“Who Is She Without Harry?” Inside Meghan’ Markle's Most Hated Status and Billionaire Ambitions

Meghan Markle has once again landed at the top of a “most hated celebrity” ranking, with Harry not far behind — but that hasn’t slowed her push to turn As Ever into a Kardashian-style brand machine. We’ll look at why voters say they’re fed up, what her ex-stepmother and half-sister are still fighting about, the latest gossip tying her to Taylor Swift’s wedding guest list, and Ingrid Seward’s blunt verdict that Meghan is “just another person flogging makeup” without the Duchess title. Plus, Chrissy Teigen calls her “kind and strong,” and a Vogue writer turns Meghan’s candles and sparkling wine into the emotional support props for a very on-brand, As Ever–fuelled breakup.

Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.

Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.

👑 Follow our hit series Crown and Controversy! Season 1 is fully available now for everyone. Season 2 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 2 BEFORE REGULAR LISTENERS as a subscriber! Hit that "UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING" Banner on the top of the Apple player. AND listen to Crown and Controversy "NORWAY'S ROYAL REBELS" here and get the full season as a premium subscriber now. 

👑 The Palace Intrigue Social Hub is Live! Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram or click the links to start your royal journey!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I
am your host, Mark Francis. Good news for Megan she
has topped a new celebrity ranking list. The bad news
she tops the list for the most hated celebrity. Megan
Michael has once again topped the list. She would no

(00:23):
doubt prefer to avoid ranking as the world's most disliked celebrity.
According to a new survey from Rancor, the Duchess of
Sussex finished ahead of several notoriously divisive figures, including Kanye
Weston Sean P. Diddy Combs, with seventy eight percent of
voters placing her in the top spot. Ranker noted that
each person on the list had distinguished themselves through their actions,

(00:46):
steering public opinion against them. Described on the site as
an American born member of the British royal family, the
philanthropist and former actress, Meghan's standing reflects a combination of
ongoing criticism and the lingering fascination with her every move.
Voters purportedly cited recent controversies from her expensive tote bag
collection to rumors about household items embroidered with Royal titles

(01:09):
as reasons she remains a lightning rod for public debate.
It's not the first time Megan has found herself in
this position. In twenty twenty four, The Hollywood Reporter also
named her among the year's most disliked celebrities, cementing her
place as a figure who divides public opinion like few others.
Prince Harry also featured prominently in the twenty twenty five lists,

(01:30):
coming in fourth behind Combs and Jada Pinkett Smith. Meghan
may appear to be thriving with a picturesque family, growing
brand empire, and a sprawling Montecito mansion, but questions about
her estrangement from parts of her extended family continued to resurface.
One such voice belongs to Rosalind Markel, the former wife
of Meghan's father, Thomas Markle Senior, who offered a different

(01:54):
explanation for the family distance in their twenty seventeen interview.
According to Roslyn, it wasn't drama or feuds that led
to estrangement, it was geography and time. It's not tension,
it's distance, she told Rader Online. When Meghan graduated from
high school, she went to Northwestern, which is up in Illinois,
and when she finished that she worked in Argentina. Then

(02:17):
she started suits and she started her acting career. It
was the scenario that everyone got busy and the distance
was always a factor, rather than maintained that Meghan didn't
actively shut out her relatives, though she admitted the Duchess
didn't have much contact with her estranged half sister, Samantha.
That part of the interview quickly drew fire. Samantha Mirkale

(02:37):
rejected Roslin's claims outright on social media, tweeting Roslind Michael
was Meghan's stepmom. Lol, My dad divorced Roslin in seventy four.
No relation to Meg ever, and she knows nothing about
our lives or Meghan. There's a new chatter linking Meghan
to Taylor Swift's much discussed wedding. At this time, it's

(02:59):
over whom I make the guest list. Some outlets have
described the Duchess of Sussexes desperate for an invitation, though
that claim appears to rest entirely on unnamed sources rather
than anything Megan has set herself. The narrative contrasts sharply
with Swift's own remarks, which suggests the pop superstar intends
to be fairly open handed when it comes to invites.

(03:21):
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Swift laughed
that she'd probably invite anyone that's ever talked to the
comment that's been widely shared across social media. She later
repeated in radio interviews that she wanted the planning process
to feel fun, not bogged down by tricky guest list decisions.
Despite that lighthearted tone, tabloids have been quick to spin

(03:42):
stories about who might be excluded, including Swift's longtime friend
Blake Lively, and who might be angling to attend. None
of those reports have been backed by direct quotes or
official confirmation. We're hoping Megan is invited. Royal commentator Ingrid
Seward has said that Meghan Michael's business ventures remained closely
tied to her royal status and to her husband, Prince Harry.

(04:05):
Speaking on The Son's Royal Exclusive podcast, Seward remarked, without
the royal tag, people are not interested. She needs Harry.
Harry obviously needs and loves her. She needs Harry because
without him, who is she just another person trying to
flog their makeup or their food. She has to stand
out for the crowd. Chrissy Tigan offered a rare peek
into her long running friendship with Megan and explained why

(04:27):
their children don't have play dates with Prince Archie and
Princess Lillabit. Appearing at a recent event and speaking to
People magazine, Tagan said, I really adore her. I think
she is so incredibly strong. Tigan and Megan first crossed
paths years ago as briefcase goals on the US version
of Deal or No Deal, and reunited on camera in

(04:48):
season two of Megan's Netflix lifestyle series, where they shared
laughs while crafting birthday themed keepsakes. Asked why the kids
haven't met up, Tagan was disarmingly practical. I don't know
any I try to do every photo, shoot everything at
our house, so no, but if the time came up, absolutely.
She also pushed back on the fierce debate that often

(05:09):
surrounds her friend, saying it's insane to me how polarizing
she is for so many different people when she really
is just a kind, good person that wants the best
for all her friends, and the best for people around her,
and the best for her own relationship and for her children.
In Tiger's view, the narrative is simpler than critics suggest.
She just wants those things, and people come up with

(05:31):
all these different things that she could be about or
what she wants. But it's not that complicated, Tagan. Out
of that, Meghan remains unfazed by outside noise. I think
it's cool that Megan is just like, listen, say whatever
you want. I'm happy and I'm healthy and I feel good.
In other news, wild experts say Zara and Mike Tindall
are unlikely ever to become full time working royals when

(05:52):
Prince William ascends the throne. Speaking on Helloes a Right
Royal podcast, author Robert Jobson said a couple of well
liked and frequently appear at family events taking on official
duties would just complicate matters. He explained, Zara has been
very popular, but she won't want to be limited commercially
by people saying, oh, she's a royal, she's working. She

(06:12):
shouldn't be getting this deal or that too. As non
working royals, both Zara and Olympic equestrian and brand ambassador
and her husband Mike, a former England rugby player and
podcast hosts, are free to pursue lucrative endorsements. Mike has
previously said he would definitely turn down a royal title
more powers in just a moment. According to a recent

(06:39):
Channel five documentary The Megan Effect, How she shook up
the Royal Family, the Duchess of Sussex has her sights
set on joining the billionaire ranks. Royal commentator Emily Andrews
told the program, I've been told by those close to
Meghan that she wants to become a billionaire. To become
a billionaire, she has to build her brand to be
as big and successful as it possibly can. Jam the beginning,

(07:01):
I can see her moving into hospitality more generally, and
if she manages to do that, I can absolutely see
her becoming a billionaire. Chad dick Serah at PR Strategist
said the timing is significant in this growing speculation that
Megan is preparing to launch a fashion line. Emma Greed
is exactly the kind of collaborator who could help her
do that successfully. In recent months, Meghan has been expanding

(07:24):
as ever with her first Christmas range featuring new candles,
food preserves, in a Napa Valley sparkling wine. She also
hinted at a beauty project, posting videos of herself a
playing lipstick with the brand names carefully obscured. A move
industry inside is described as a telltale sign of the
new makeup line in the works. The Duchess has said
she wants to create a long lasting business empire, and

(07:47):
her recent appearances suggest she's moving full steam ahead with
Hollywood polish, Silicon Valley ambition and perhaps a touch of
Kardashian strategy. In Vogue, Emma Specter tells us you too,
could make Meghan markles as Ever holiday collection Your Breakup Fuel.
Emma tells of her breakup with her partner of four years, Racks,

(08:08):
and how they handled it with the help of some
Meghan products. Specter rates the answer for Rax and Be
was clear, bubbling and lying in weight and our fridge. Together,
we popped a bottle of Meghan markl Brand twenty twenty
one vintage nap a Valley Brute, filled our glasses mine
to the brim with him a side of weed vape,
and toasted to what we can both honestly call the

(08:29):
best four years of our lives so far. It actually
tracks that something like Michaels as Ever collection would figure
so prominently in our breakup. My relationship with Racks has
always been anchored by luxury, or the pursuit of it. Anyway,
there is nothing we loved more as a couple than scamming,
whether that meant flexing our miittedly limited Queer Angelino clout

(08:50):
for the occasional free Carabina or Gratis samples of cologne
or Compton Knight stay at a luxury hotel, obviously the
presence of as ever in our apartment. It was no
pure scam. I'd always plan to write about it. What
I couldn't have imagined was that the candles in the
mail are pleasantly redolent of Moroccan mint, cardamom and tea
leaves and water lotus sandalwood in California poppy, respectively, would

(09:15):
flicker away as we took the day off work, joyfully
canceled that afternoons couple's therapy session a fringe benefit of
breaking up. You simply don't have to do that shit anymore,
and began breaking the sad news to our best friends.
While I can't say that it feels good to be
single again just yet, when I picture myself in the
only medium sad studio apartment, that I hope to move

(09:35):
into sipping my as ever wine in the bath and
burning an as ever candle while as ever jam waits
in the fridge to be mixed into yogurt for a
silly little bedtime treat. I feel I can do it,
after all, who knows more about making a hard life
pivot than Megan Markle herself. There you have it, like
the email as her addresses The Palace Intriguer gmail dot com.

(09:58):
Please follow us at Spotify and Apple, Facebook, Instagram, the
social hub of your choice, and leave us a nice
review if you're joining the show by Mike Francis My
thanks to John McDermott. This balance in drig good terms