Although the royal family likes to portray themselves as prim and proper and above responding to things like tabloid rumors, the reality is that they can be just as petty and reactive as anyone. Throughout the years — but especially since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals — the royals have occasionally taken subtle digs at one another.
Most of the offenses are small and would be hard to catch if you weren't paying close attention, but they're there. And since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left royal life, the digs have been even less subtle than before.
Family can get complicated, especially when there's work and status and money to deal with. It's hardly surprising that sometimes the members of the monarchy just need to voice how they're really feeling — even if how they're feeling is petty and shady. Here are 15 times the royals seemed to take a swipe at one another.
Harry Reportedly Took Aim at Nannies
Prince William and Kate Middleton may have been hurt when Harry reportedly bashed the idea of nannies, since the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge use a nanny for their kids. Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie claimed that Harry said ahead of Archie's birth that he didn't "want a sort of Mary Poppins type of character around their child as he or she grew up." Omid added, "I would take that as a slight dig at the Norland nanny style" that Kate and William employ.
Harry & Meghan's Carriage Placement
When Harry attended Royal Ascot in 2016, the Queen had him sit with her in the coveted first carriage spot. She also asked him to undertake more responsibility by doing a solo tour of the Caribbean in her place. Things seemed to be going really well for Harry's place in the royal family.
But when he and Meghan attended Royal Ascot together in 2018, he'd been moved from the first carriage to the third carriage. Royal expert Daniela Elser told Express that she believes it was a signal that there was already drama between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family. And the Queen may have responded by downgrading Harry's carriage status.
Kind of petty, if true.
Spoiling Kate's Birthday
The biggest piece of royal news to come out in decades was Harry and Meghan's decision to step back from the monarchy. And when did they announce the news? The day before Kate's birthday. Happy birthday, Kate! Your gift is getting a whole lot more royal work added to your plate!
The Queen's Post-Megxit Statement
Harry and Meghan's exit statement read as if they had the full support of the Queen and had already worked out all the details of their stepping back.
"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 … while continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen," the Sussexes said, adding that they planned to "continue to collaborate with Her Majesty the Queen."
But it became clear that Elizabeth didn't feel the same way when she released her own statement on the matter. "Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through," the statement read.
Everyone was definitely not on the same page.
Harry & Meghan Called Out the Cambridges
When Harry and Meghan decided to step down as senior royals, the Queen forbid them from using Sussex Royal in their branding. The couple acknowledged the decision in a statement that seemed to throw shade on Kate and William for trademarking their own Cambridge name.
The Sussexes' statement said: "The trademark applications that had been filed as protective measures and that reflected the same standard trademarking requests as done for the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been removed."
Eesh.
The Sussexes Also Seemed To Shade Princesses Beatrice & Eugenie
Another part of Harry and Meghan's royal exit statement included a line about how they were forbidden from doing what other royals already have. "While there is precedent for other titled members of the royal family to seek employment outside of the institution, for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a 12-month review period has been put in place," the statement said.
That sentence can easily be interpreted to be about Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. They don't do a whole lot on behalf of the Crown, yet they get to keep their titles while living their own lives. The difference is that they're not directly in line to the throne like Harry is.
Kate & William Excluded Meghan From This Instagram Post
When the Cambridges wished the Queen a happy 93rd birthday, they chose a photo from the Trooping the Colour to post on Instagram. People quickly noticed that Meghan was absent from the picture. In the Cambridges' defense, the photo was taken at the 2016 Trooping the Colour — before Meghan married Harry. But also, Kate and William probably could have used a photo from the 2018 event that the Duchess of Sussex did attend.
Kate's Dig at Meghan's Post-Birth Choices
The Duchess of Cambridge didn't call Meghan out by name when she went on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2019, but she did seem to shade the Duchess of Sussex's choice not to do an immediate photo call with Archie after giving birth. "Both William and I were really conscious that this was something that everyone was excited about. For us to be able to share that joy and appreciation with the public, I felt it was really important," Kate said.
Royals like Diana and Kate did photo shoots outside the hospital with all of their children, but Meghan broke from tradition and didn't share Archie with the world for several days.
Harry Suggesting William Is Trapped
During the Sussexes' bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry slighted the monarchy as a whole by suggesting that he had been "trapped" by the system and that his father and brother still were.
"I didn't see a way out. I was trapped, but I didn't know I was trapped," he said of the time before he met Meghan. "My father and my brother, they are trapped. They don't get to leave, and I have huge compassion for that."
However, a source claimed to The Sunday Times that William resented that suggestion. "He has a path set for him and he's completely accepting of his role. He is very much his grandmother's grandson in that respect of duty and service," the source said.
Meghan's Language in the Oprah Interview
About a month before Meghan and Harry stepped back from royal life, Princess Anne gave an interview chiding the modern generation of royals for trying to break out of a well-oiled mold. She said they shouldn't "forget the basics" and "please do not reinvent the wheel, we've been there, done that."
Many people noticed when Meghan used similar phrasing in her interview with Oprah. "We only wanted to have the same type of role that exists, right? There's senior members of the family and then there are non-senior members. So we weren't reinventing the wheel here," Meghan said.
Louis' Hidden Birthday Message
Some people thought that the Cambridges' photo of their son Louis for his third birthday had a hidden dig at Harry. The picture of Louis riding his bike came shortly after Harry spoke to Oprah about how he can take his son on bike rides now that he's free from royal life.
"I guess the highlight for me is sticking Archie on the back of a bicycle in his little baby seat and taking him on bike rides, which is something I was never able to do when I was young," Harry said.
The Cambridges then showed that bike riding as a young royal was indeed possible.
Harry Slighted Prince Charles
As Harry and Meghan launched their foundation Archewell, the duo posted an open letter on their website that featured photos of Harry with his mother, Princess Diana. The letter said that Harry and Meghan hoped to "build a better world" and Harry noted, "I am my mother's son" as a nod to Diana's endless charity efforts.
But many interpreted the lack of mention of Charles as a slight, so the Sussexes removed the letter and photos and put up a more generic message about charity work.
Charles' Photo Background
In the past, Charles has showed off photos of his whole family in the various video addresses he's made. In 2020, Harry was still prominently featured in one (seen here). But in a video released in May 2021 (notably after Harry's Oprah interview), Charles gave a speech in front of just one photo. It shows the four generations of monarchs — the Queen, Charles, William, and Prince George. Reportedly this picture upset Harry when it was first released, so it was extra interesting that Charles featured it in his video.
Beatrice Stole Harry & Meghan's Thunder
When Princess Beatrice announced the happy news that she was expecting her first child, she did so on the third anniversary of Meghan and Harry's wedding day. Some believed this to have been an intentional way to get back at the Sussexes for announcing Meghan's pregnancy at Beatrice's sister Eugenie's wedding in 2018. Tit for tat.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Hitting Back at the Queen
When Harry and Meghan first announced their intention to step back from royal life, the Queen asked them to give it a year trial period. At the end of the year, she concurred that it was best for them to end their time as working royals. In a statement, the Queen noted, "It is not possible [for Harry and Meghan] to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service."
But the couple seemed to take issue with that phrasing. In a statement of their own, they pointedly responded, "We can all live a life of service. Service is universal."
Touché.
