Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are in the midst of a complete media firestorm. Since their shock announcement, in which they declared they were stepping down as senior members of the royal family, the couple has been hitting the headlines non-stop.
Ever since the news broke, people have been wondering the same thing... what will become of them?
Well things seemed to be going just dandy and now their photo in the rain is being labeled the 'most iconic ever'. But some people aren't happy about it.
Keep scrolling to find out why...
Meghan and Harry have become one of the most famous couples in the world.
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Headlines were made all over the world when the British Royal Family's Prince Harry announced his romance with the Suits actress, Meghan Markle.It all started with a blind date...
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The couple met back in 2016 when they were set up by a mutual friend who thought the two would hit it off.And their friend's hunch was apparently right...
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Because the pair hit it off, and they immediately arranged to see each other again, eventually going on to have 2 more dates in London.And, in 2017, after a couple of months of privacy...
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The pair officially went public with their relationship.Meghan was instantly catapulted into the royal spotlight.
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Though she was already pretty well known for her role as Rachel Zane in Suits, the California-born actress was thrown into levels of fame that she had never experienced before.The world quickly became Meghan and Harry obsessed.
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And people were delighted to hear the news of their engagement later that year.And, not ones to waste any time...
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The couple officially tied the knot in May 2018.The ceremony was simply stunning.
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The royals aren't ones to hold back, are they? Harry and Meghan wed in a lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle, which became one of the most-watched televised events of all time.Meghan radiated with happiness on her big day...
And, not long after the wedding, the newly appointed Duke and Duchess of Sussex had some more exciting news...
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They were expecting! On October 15th, 2018, the couple announced their pregnancy.They make for the cutest little family.
Meghan hasn't had the easiest time...
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Joining the British royal family was never going to be an easy transition, given that a person has to give up their entire life in order to be a part of the monarchy. But Meghan's experience has been especially difficult.Many dedicated royalists weren't happy to see an American woman of colour in the monarchy...
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And many attacked the Duchess, slamming her as "fake," with some going as far as accusing her of breaking up the royal family entirely.She has also been relentlessly attacked by the press...
Kensington Palace has issued a statement this morning about the harassment currently being experienced by Meghan Ma… https://t.co/6KgnuDlXOk— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge)1478599888.0
But, this year, the couple have seemingly had enough of the harassment and the criticism...
They made the announcement on their joint Instagram page, Sussex Royal.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," the post read.The couple plan on providing a more "normal" upbringing for Archie...
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And have announced that they will be splitting their time between the U.K and North America. “This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity," they wrote.This is huge news.
But what exactly have the other royals had to say about their controversial decision?
In fact, reports surfaced that senior royals were left “hurt" by the shock announcement that was made "without warning."
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And of course, the news has sparked a whole new wave of criticism to head Meghan's way.A family friend made some shocking claims...
Amid accusations that the couple didn't tell other senior royals of their plans to step back, the source told PEOPLE that the Sussexes felt they had "no choice" but to handle things the way they have.The source went on to say that there's so much "bad blood" in the family...
"This is not how they wanted to handle this, but Meghan and Harry’s hand was forced," the family friend explained. “There is so much bad blood in that family — it’s toxic."But what many people have failed to take into consideration...
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Is how hard this whole experience must have been for Meghan - a new mother.Last month, Prince Harry finally broke his silence on the matter.
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While attending a charity event, Harry delivered a heartfelt speech about their split from the royal family.Harry began by addressing the media firestorm that's ensued since he and Meghan announced their split from the royal family.
He went on to praise those who have been supportive of Meghan.
"I know I haven't always gotten it right."
"We are not walking away from you."
He also took the time to honor his late mother.
"I was born into this life, and it is a great honor to serve my country and the Queen. When I lost my mum 23 years ago, you took me under your wing," he continued. "You've looked out for me for so long, but the media is a powerful force, and my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us." "It has been our privilege to serve you, and we will continue to lead a life of service."He ended his emotional speech by praising his family, despite the recent rumors that rifts were forming.
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"I will always have the utmost respect for my grandmother, my commander in chief, and I am incredibly grateful to her and the rest of my family, for the support they have shown Meghan and I over the last few months. I will continue to be the same man who holds his country dear and dedicates his life to supporting the causes, charities and military communities that are so important to me." "Together, you have given me an education about living. And this role has taught me more about what is right and just than I could have ever imagined. We are taking a leap of faith – thank you for giving me the courage to take this next step."But, since the shocking announcement, people are wondering the same thing...
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How exactly are the couple planning on being financially independent?Well...
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Of course, we already know they'll be getting money from Prince Charles, but there were also rumors swirling that the pair were in talks with a Hollywood elite team.But it seems they've already hit a major hurdle.
According to the Daily Mail, the couple have been told to remove the word "royal" from their branding on both their social media and website.This could cause huge issues for their trademarked name.
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The pair have been trying to gain the international rights to their "Sussex Royal" brand as they prepare to move onto this new stage in their lives.But, according to reports, the Queen has put her foot down.
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The move comes after the Queen allegedly felt it was "inappropriate" for Meghan and Harry to use the word "royal" in their branding given the fact they have chosen to go their own way.As of now, their social media handle and website name remains the same.
So, it's unclear if plans will go ahead to prevent them from using "royal" on these platforms. However now the Sussex's have hit back.They've gone in on the Queen.
Posting on Saturday, Harry and Meghan released what appears to be an angry response to the Queen's attempt to strip them of the word Royal.It was pretty heated.
And they claim the Queen doesn't own the term Royal at all so there's nothing she can do about it.More specifically they said:
While there is not any jurisdiction by The Monarchy or Cabinet Office over the use of the word 'Royal' overseas, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use 'Sussex Royal' or any iteration of the word 'Royal' in any territory (either within the UK or otherwise) when the transition occurs Spring 2020.
Twitter turned on Meghan this week.
One person wrote:
That isn’t PDA. That was Meghan interrupting their conversation, pulling him back so she could step in front of him to take over the conversation. I don’t care, it’s their marriage and I will never judge about that. But the video is clear, please don’t mislead or sugar coat.
Another said:
Always pushing herself in front of Harry. RUDE.The footage was captured by Daily Mail reporter, Rebecca English, before being uploaded to her Twitter account.
Take a look at the footage below:
Some familiar Harry and Meghan PDA’s tonight! https://t.co/YD50fokHV0— Rebecca English (@Rebecca English)1583441366.0
Now one of their photos has gone viral.
My Harry & Meghan photo in black & white. Thank you for all the love for this picture! https://t.co/WezCSC7hfm— Samir Hussein (@Samir Hussein)1583616065.0
It shows Meghan and Harry in the rain.
So it's easy to see what's so iconic about it. It's simply just a great photograph.But some people aren't happy.
@TomSwarbrick1 I would be laughing if I had done what they had. Those of us who may end up paying for them are less impressed.— GrahamC (@GrahamC)1583520379.0