Vanity Fair’s Sussex cover story was timed perfectly as an attempt to derail multiple projects and appearances for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. While VF couldn’t have organized the cover story just to hurt Meghan’s Netflix show – the show’s original release date was only confirmed on New Year’s Day – the magazine was looking to hurt the Sussexes ahead of Harry’s London trial against News Group Newspapers, a trial which starts this week. I believe that the VF story was also an attempt to hurt the Sussexes in advance of the Invictus Games in Canada next month. It just makes me so sad and anxious – Harry and Meghan escaped with their lives more than five years ago, and there’s still such a very obvious transatlantic agenda to harm them and attack every single part of their lives.
Speaking of, the British media isn’t sure when Harry will arrive in London for the trial, but I have every confidence that they’ve prepared a full smear campaign which will drop as soon as they get eyes on him in London. The Daily Beast provided a small preview, with “friends of Prince William told The Daily Beast he had absolutely no intention of meeting with his brother, whom he has not forgiven for publicly betraying him in his memoir, Spare.” Buckingham Palace has also been doing some soft briefings about how Harry refused an invitation to stay in royal accommodations while he’s in London. Those two storylines – Harry snubs Charles, William refuses to see Harry – will be front and center as soon as they see Harry outside the courthouse. Meanwhile, the Daily Beast tied the Vanity Fair story to Harry’s trial, because they are absolutely connected:
The brutal Harry and Meghan divorce allegations in this week’s bombshell Vanity Fair article have made “a bad time worse” for the couple, an old friend of Harry’s who still lives in the U.K. has told The Daily Beast. The storied publication made an astonishing claim that a member of Meghan’s team spoke to publishers regarding her writing a book about divorce if she were to split from Harry.
The friend, who remains in contact with both William and Harry, despite the brothers’ bitter feud, told The Daily Beast: “The Vanity Fair divorce story seemed very unfair. There was a book but there wasn’t a book, she was planning for life after divorce, but they are totally in love. What? There was not a shred of evidence.”
The article, by Anna Peele, alleged that “a rumor” has circulated in “the book world” that “Meghan’s team had a conversation with a publishing house to gauge interest” in a book about “a post-Harry divorce.” Peele says that the unidentified person allegedly acting for Meghan made it clear that the couple were not getting divorced, but was seeking to know, if such a divorce did happen, “would this publisher theoretically be interested in a book that took place in its aftermath?”
The friend told The Daily Beast, noting that Meghan’s new cooking show has been ridiculed and postponed, and that Harry has a grueling court case coming up (more on which below): “Things aren’t easy for them right now. Vanity Fair have succeeded in making a bad time worse.”
Harry and Meghan did not comment to Vanity Fair, and have not responded to inquiries this week from the Daily Beast about the article.
“Vanity Fair have succeeded in making a bad time worse.” Almost like that was the goal, to make Harry and Meghan feel under siege yet again. Even some Derangers seem to think that the monarchy had a hand in the VF piece and that, as always, people are trying to get to Harry by attacking Meghan. It wouldn’t surprise me, just as it wouldn’t surprise me if the explicit goal of Vanity Fair was pushing a very specific narrative about Harry being dumb and childish and controlled by Meghan… just before Harry is cross-examined by NGN’s lawyers.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.
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- Dusseldorf, GERMANY – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, were spotted uplifting spirits during the fourth day of the Invictus Games 2023. Held at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany, the couple looked genuinely happy as they interacted with athletes and fans alike. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 13 SEPTEMBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Whistler, CANADA – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were seen at the One Year to Go Event, a significant milestone leading up to the Invictus Games. These games are an international adaptive multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry, which bring together wounded, injured, or sick armed services personnel and veterans to compete in various sports. The event serves as a celebration of the strength and resilience of these individuals, providing a platform for them to showcase their abilities and inspire others. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 15 FEBRUARY 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Whistler, CANADA – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were seen at the One Year to Go Event, a significant milestone leading up to the Invictus Games. These games are an international adaptive multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry, which bring together wounded, injured, or sick armed services personnel and veterans to compete in various sports. The event serves as a celebration of the strength and resilience of these individuals, providing a platform for them to showcase their abilities and inspire others. Pictured: Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 15 FEBRUARY 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Whistler, CANADA – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, were seen engaging with attendees on the second day of the ‘One Year to Go’ event before the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, held at Mountain Square in Whistler, Canada. The royal couple’s visit highlighted their continued support for the Invictus Games and its participants. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 15 FEBRUARY 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex attending the One Year to Go Event before the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 at Mountain Square Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Whistler, Canada When: 14 Feb 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex attending the One Year to Go Event before the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 at Mountain Square Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Whistler, Canada When: 14 Feb 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex attending the second day of the One Year to Go Event before the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 at Mountain Square Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Whistler, Canada When: 15 Feb 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex attending the final day of the One Year to Go Event before the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 and go curling at the Vancouver Curling Club at Hillcrest Community Centre Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Vancouver, Canada When: 16 Feb 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex attending the final day of the One Year to Go Event before the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 and go curling at the Vancouver Curling Club at Hillcrest Community Centre Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Vancouver, Canada When: 16 Feb 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
VF was definitely planned and timed to hurt the Sussex’s. It is glaringly obvious.
It’s so funny how obvious this commissioned hit job is by the reaction of certain royal commentators who are claiming it gives vindication that they weren’t racist or liars (Camilla tominey & Victoria Arbiter) or the mail claiming it means H&M American dream is over & they may have to come back to UK to be Sophie & Edward lol.
They make their plots fairly obvious & Camilla was on Twitter practically screaming that staff claims were in vanity fair because it was where Meghan did her first interview & where H&M have given some exclusives around their Archewell work. They want US media to whitewash their racist treatment of Meghan
Camilla Tominey is a well documented liar and racist creature with no credibility. As for Victoria, she is just as insignificant as Camilla. Let’s not give them any credence by quoting anything they say. Harry’s law suit is a threat for THAT FAMILY and the British tabloids. God Bless Harry and Meaghan in all of their endeavors🙏
Their royals cover stories usually come out in the summer, so yes, this timing is sus.
I think that they want to think it makes it worse for Harry but it never really does. Sure there will be a plethora of nasty stories when Harry comes to England for the trial and there will be nasty stories when he does his Invictus games. There will always be nasty Harry stories because his family is so very jealous of him and all the good he does and the lovely life he has with Meg and his children. Harry was supposed to do his duty as scapegoat for his idiot brother that is all they wanted for Harry and Harry said no and left. The stories and trying to make Harry miserable will not stop and Harry knows this and he lives his life and thrives anyway.
🎯
Susan Collins, when I read that it would make it wore for them, I immediately thought ‘why’. We don’t know that H&M is responding to this and we don’t know who this anonymous source is.
Susan you are 💯 on point!
Well, all H&M can do is be who they are and continue on their work. The media can call Harry whatever they like but it won’t change the facts of the court case.
I’m sure the Sussexes were ready for the unfounded negativity and vitriol
I’m sure they’re ready for it all the time.
The BM and even the American Media’s attempts to bash the Sussexes has become so boring now. It’s the same thing over and over and over again. Let’s not give it anymore attention than it deserves. Leave them alone! The moment I hear the Waleses divorce then I will be all ears. Next!
If William says he was betrayed by his brother in Spare then William is admitting that Harry told the truth, if he had not told the truth then William would say that he lied. Or “recollections my vary,” funnily enough with that one, the late Queen never said who’s recollections may vary.
The BM and the rest of Rupert Murdoch flunkies are so predictable. The case starts this week and so the hate begins. I imagine that William and Charles are at the head of it. If William and Charles think that family is important why would they try to destroy one of their own . That’s not family love that’s just pure evil
It should be remembered that none of what Harry says transpired has been denied by the palace. William is mad because Harry “betrayed” Kate. Nobody has said that Kate didn’t behave like Harry described. The press has made it known that William is a rage monster, but they say that Harry is a schmuck for telling us that William injured him in a physical altercation. So it should be inferred that the odious things done to Harry by members of his family and the BM should have been kept secret and Harry should just continue to be the scapegoat. One then has to infer that those who swallow the BM lies have no ability for critical thinking, or they are pre-disposed to believe them because of their own biases and racism. It’s proven everyday that smearing Meghan is a billion dollar business, and the scary thing is that it is co-ordinated and two powerful institutions are colluding- the press and the monarchy, and it seems that neither of them are held accountable in any way whatsoever.
And Kate was satisfied if her lie about Meghan had,stayed in the media forever
There is a fundamental disconnect between how the Royal Family and the British tabloids perceive success and how it actually functions in the U.S., particularly for individuals like Harry and Meghan who operate outside the traditional royal structure.
In the UK, the Royal Family’s relevance and funding are tied to public support. Their existence as taxpayer-funded figures necessitates broad public approval. This makes sense within a monarchy, where their role is symbolic and their “value” is measured by their popularity among the majority.
However, Harry and Meghan have stepped away from that system. Their success in the U.S. doesn’t rely on universal approval or majority support; rather, it depends on cultivating a strong, engaged niche audience and leveraging their unique position. Even if only a quarter of Americans—say, 80 million people—view them favorably, that is still a massive potential audience in terms of branding, streaming platforms, book sales, speaking engagements, and other ventures.
The American market values individuality, relatability, and personal storytelling. Harry and Meghan’s appeal lies in their narrative of breaking away from tradition, advocating for causes like mental health, racial equality, and social justice. In the U.S., success is often about being polarizing—those who love you support your projects, and those who don’t still generate attention, keeping you relevant.
Ultimately, Harry and Meghan don’t need to justify their existence to the majority in the way the Royal Family does. They’re not beholden to taxpayer dollars or a constitutional role. Their independence gives them the freedom to create their own definition of success, whether that’s through media production, philanthropy, or public speaking, and they only need a fraction of the American public to achieve it. The British tabloids, steeped in their own cultural context, seem unable—or unwilling—to grasp this nuance.
You make an excellent point about them not understanding what is needed for success. They write as if all 340 million Americans must love them or they’ll be failures. This discounts the fact that they have fans literally all over the world, but that you only need a small amount of people to be interested in you to keep you going. If just the people who follow Meghan on Instagram spent $100 towards anything she sells that’s over 100 million dollars right there. That’s a one-time purchase. They don’t need everyone to be in love with them, they don’t even need the majority to be in love with them to be successful. And you know that they’re going to have a bunch of haters buying their stuff just to prove that it sucks. Too bad for them that’s still money that they will earn
Snuffles, your comment is on point!
Of course the goal is to make Harry seem like some hapless airhead. I said this in a comment yesterday, their argument has been that Harry must have known about all these backroom deals. If they portray him as someone that’s just lacks attention and being directed by someone else that means you can’t take his recollections seriously. Also, I think they’re greatly overemphasizing how detrimental this is. I’m not on social media so I can’t say how the normal Royal following circles are reacting to this, but I will say this is not on Google News with new stories being written by anyone but the same people that constantly write about this stuff. There’s no New York Times or Washington Post, or NBC News stories about this. It was clearly aimed to derail Meghan’s TV show and Harry’s court cases rolling into Invictus, but when Meghan delayed her show I’m sure the February issue had already gone to print so they couldn’t back out of it. It serves these people right and it makes it all the more apparent that it was intentional. The hilarious thing is that on Google News the Vanity Fair article was immediately followed buy a article from The New York Times about Harry’s court case against Rupert Murdoch and his entities going forward this week. If that doesn’t raise alarm bells in even the most casual persons mind I don’t know what would.
Doesn’t this all just support the claim that the media is purposely trying to cause harm and print untruthful items about them? Why else would they print something so clearly biased?
When people tell you who they are, you best believe them…”
Vanity Fair is just a tabloid now.
Vanity Fair hasn’t been relevant for years
How has v f succeeded. Not everybody buys into the propaganda. V f has gone down hill and editors and writers are doing themselves harm.
This was an obvious hit piece and more of the same, tired, unsubstantiated BS about the couple. The absolute nonsense about a divorce memoir when even VF had to admit this couple are in love. It really is desperate, recycled tired narrative. It has been tough but their love endures. Spare made it crystal clear just how unhappy and exploited Harry was by his own family. He has repeatedly stated he is not going back to work for RF. Both are being bullied by RF and media and the court cases will only intensify their attacks. VF is just proof of co ordinated attacks on the eve of the case against the Scum!
I laughed when I read this — this isn’t a researched “article” by a journalist. This is an opinion piece, full stop. As an actual journalist, I can say with that no actual journalist or reputable editorial team would label this as anything but opinion. No journalist would ever write about “someone who heard something from someone who supposedly worked on the Spotify team who worked with Meghan.” Also — almost every single sentence hyperlinks to other opinion/gossip articles that are not researched pieces. That’s a dead giveaway that says someone told the writer: “here’s a list of all the articles you need to link out to, just write around them and then add a quote or two. You need to have at least one named source; the rest can be anonymous.” That’s some shabby sh*t.
It is an attempt to shake and upset Harry before the trial. They are fully aware of the power of negative reportings even based on lies.
Noor, somehow I doubt that this will upset Harry at all. He (as well as the rest of us) have seen it all before. I don’t think it will have a whit of difference to the Judge on the case.
Yeah, they are hoping this will rattle Harry. But he’s battle-tested.
He’s said loads of times he doesn’t read what’s written about him. Why on earth would made up garbage even bother him? He’s been lied about since the day he was born in the media.
Well, if the Sussexes want that circus to stop, they need to sue individuals responsible for it. My hope is that Harry plan to do it once he is finished with the each of the tabloids.
I think it’s obvious that this piece had an lot of involvement from the UK and timed for the lawsuit.
The VF piece was commissioned by the palace & their rota partners.
Jack Royston of Newsweek has just claimed that the staff claims are from time Meghan wasn’t in the palace & that the writer isn’t a conservative type who works for US liberal media. Let’s just ignore that royal reporters & palace sources are quoted in the piece & that liberal women are quite capable of being bigoted too- hello Amy Cooper? So anyway having US media do their dirty work is the new goal.
Given it’s a cover so has likely been in the works for a while & we only knew Meghan’s series was coming out like 2 weeks ago I do think the timing was on the surface linked to 5 years since they announced their exit but in reality it was more about Harry v NGN because we’ve known Harry’s court date was beginning of January for months now. So this hit job is possibly also part of the witness intimidation Harry has mentioned.
But also what’s also obvious is Oprah, the docuseries & Spare were generous to the palace for what was left out. Each time these projects have come out the palace briefs about how they are relieved & how there was more that could have been said which is in line with what Tyler Perry said about Meghan. They are concerned Meghan will do a memoir one day so these continuous hit pieces with suggestions that Meghan lied are to discredit her in advance
https://www.itv.com/news/2025-01-20/prince-harrys-very-personal-fight-against-rupert-murdochs-tabloid
This ITV news article makes it clear that whatever BS they throw at him and Meg, Harry is standing up to bullies.
Rattle hHarry before the court cases. Def. But they also knew that something would be coming up for Meghan with her show and ARO the first half of this year.
Who wants to join in and write letters to the editor to Vanity Fair? I’m so sick of this nonsense. They need to leave Meg and Harry alone. These society set is obsessed and angry and bitter. They’ve continually crossed lines that shouldn’t be crossed.
How much shit can you shovel on two people before they pick that shovel up and send it right back. All I want to remind them Windsors and their media gutter rats buddies is that Harry still has unpublished pages , enough for a part two. Sparing your asses no more .
Personally I feel like they’ve succeeded in showing themselves as just another useless tabloid publication.
I’ve just read on People that Harry has not been offered security or an overnight stay at the palace tomorrow. Harry won’t be coming to London until February. This is another story with no truth to it. It’s all about making the Sussexes look bad and everyone else look good. But it’s simmering. And the truth shines through every crack.
https://people.com/prince-harry-miss-first-day-rupert-murdoch-tabloid-trial-dismiss-rumors-police-protection-8777269
I am so sorry they are under siege every time they try to do something. I pray they are OK and not letting this get to them but this focused and targeted smear campaign that has been going on for years is absolutely unhinged. I wish Harry success at the trial and that WLM and ARO are wildly successful. They deserve it after having to take all this crap for years.