Prince Harry and Meghan Markle do not have fond memories of their time as working royals — and they don't care who knows it. Though the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose to walk away from royal life in 2020, it was in 2021 where they both seemed to have found their voices in all this. Between podcast interviews, the big sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, and the statements they've released, Meghan and Harry have gotten super candid and thrown plenty of shade at the royals, talking about how they've been treated both in the past and in the present.
We have to admit that we can't imagine Queen Elizabeth is pleased with the drama they've both stirred up, and Prince Charles isn't exactly coming off as a doting father according to Harry's accounts. But still, it must be freeing for Meghan and Harry to feel like they can finally speak out about their side of things — and we're not going to turn down the chance to peek behind the royal curtain.
Here are 15 times Meghan and Harry threw shade at the royal family in 2021. With the release of Harry's memoir right around the corner, we have a feeling this is just the beginning.
Prince Charles' Parenting
When Harry was a guest on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, he said that he wanted to "break the cycle" of the way he was raised.
"Certainly, when it comes to parenting, if I've experienced some form of pain and suffering because of the pain and suffering that perhaps my father or parents suffered, I'm gonna make sure I break that cycle so that I don't pass it on," he said.
Living in a Zoo
In the same podcast interview, Harry compared being royal to "living in a zoo," and emphasized just how undesirable being part of the Firm was to him.
"Look what it did to my mum," he said. "How am I ever going to settle down and have a wife and family when I know it's going to happen again? I've seen behind the curtain. I've seen the business model and seen how this whole thing works, and I don't want to be part of this."
His Family Refused To Help
In his Apple TV+ docuseries, The Me You Can't See, Harry opened up about how his family refused to help when Meghan was experiencing suicidal thoughts.
"I thought my family would help, but every single ask, request, warning, whatever, it just got met with total silence, total neglect," he said. "We spent four years trying to make it work. We did everything that we possibly could to stay there and carry on doing the role and doing the job. But Meghan was struggling."
Feeling Trapped & Controlled
Also in the docuseries, Harry opened up about his reasons for leaving the royal family, and he didn't exactly make it sound like his family made him feel loved and protected.
"That was one of the biggest reasons to leave, feeling trapped and feeling controlled through fear, both by the media and by the system itself, which never encouraged the talking about this kind of trauma," Harry said. "Certainly now, I will never be bullied into silence."
Making Him Suffer
Harry also accused Charles of insisting on treating his children the way he was treated, even though he knew his own upbringing had been hard on him. "My father used to say to me when I was younger, he used to say to both William and me, 'Well, it was like that for me so it's going to be like that for you,'" he explained.
"That doesn't make sense. Just because you suffered, that doesn't mean your kids have to suffer. In fact, quite the opposite. If you suffered, do everything you can to make sure that whatever negative experiences you had, you can make it right for your kids."
Accusations of Racism
In Meghan and Harry's now-infamous March 2021 interview with Oprah, they claimed that a member of the royal family made racist comments about Archie before he was born.
"[There were] concerns and conversations about how dark his skin will be when he's born … what that would mean or look like. That was relayed to me from Harry, that was from conversations that family had with him," Meghan told Oprah.
Perpetuating Falsehoods
Also in the Oprah interview, Meghan accused the royals of "perpetuating falsehoods" about her.
"I don't know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there is an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us," she said.
Harry Doesn't Need Permission
When news about Harry's memoir broke, he and Meghan released a statement saying that the royal family didn't need to give him permission to tell his story. According to what their spokesperson very specifically told the BBC, they weren't expected to ask Buckingham Palace if he could write the book, though he did give them a heads up.
Meghan's Children's Book
Though this shade wasn't thrown quite as directly, some believed that Meghan was trying to outcompete Kate Middleton when she released her children's book, The Bench, around the same time that Kate's Hold Still photography book came out (via Entertainment Times).
A Life of Service
When Meghan and Harry made their departure from the royal family permanent in February 2021, they also learned that they would no longer be able to continue to support their patronages. They took that opportunity to release a statement aimed at the Queen, claiming that "service is universal."
"The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service," the statement said.
The Queen's Inaction
In a new epilogue that was added to Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand's book about the Sussexes, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Family, the authors wrote that Meghan and Harry weren't impressed by the Queen's reaction to their racism allegations.
"Months later, and little accountability has been taken. How can you move forward with that?" said a source claiming to be close to the couple in the book, reported the Perez Hilton website.
Meghan's Response to the Bullying Allegations
After Meghan was accused of bullying her royal staff, she released a statement in response to Buckingham Palace saying they were "clearly very concerned" about the allegations.
"The duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma," said Meghan's statement. "She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good."
Quitting Jobs
In an interview with Fast Company, Harry said that it was a good thing that people are beginning to put their mental health first and leave jobs that don't "bring them joy." Many fans believed he was taking a little dig at his own former job as a senior royal.
The Aftermath of Diana's Death
In The Me You Can't See, Harry opened up about how losing his mother at a young age led to him experiencing depression and turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms. He said that as he was grieving his mother, the royals offered little support.
"Family members have said, 'Just play the game and your life will be easier.' But I have a hell of a lot of my mum in me," Harry said. "I feel as though I am outside of the system, but I'm still stuck there. The only way to free yourself and break out is to tell the truth."
Harry Had Panic Attacks as a Royal
At the end of the docuseries, Harry admitted that he's doing better now than ever before, making mention of what his life was like under the royal family's thumb.
"I'm now more comfortable in my own skin. I don't get panic attacks. I've learned more about myself in the last four years than I have in the 32 years before that. I have my wife to thank for that," he said.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
