Footage of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry being cheered by crowds in England has gone viral after Prince William’s trip to Scotland caught the attention of anti-monarchy campaigners.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex drew scores of fans during a walkabout in Brighton in October 2018, several months after their wedding that May.
It was their only joint visit to Sussex, the southern English county from which their titles are drawn, and they met cheering supporters near the Brighton Pavilion, which was once a royal residence.
Fans of the couple shared the footage on the same day Prince William visited Aberdeen in Scotland with little fanfare, sparking mockery by anti-monarchy Twitter accounts.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry arrive in Brighton during an official visit to Sussex on October 3, 2018. Footage of the pair being cheered by crowds during the visit has gone viral.
Tabatha Fireman/Getty Images
Harry and Meghan in Sussex
Footage showing the Sussexes being hit by a volley of flashguns as crowds cheered went viral on TikTok after it was liked almost 10,000 times and viewed 155,000 times.
It was posted with the message: “They will tell you fake stories that the Uk public hates #princeharry & #princessmeghan but only Harry and Meghan can pull these crowds and standing ovations. This is just one reason out of many why the #royalfamily had to get rid of them and try to make them the villain.
“The Royal Family refused to do their job but they’re also jealous of the ones who do it better than them.
“Harry and Meghan step back yet the so-called ‘Working Royals’ refused to step up they push out the only ‘Working Royals’ then they wonder why people don’t respect them.
“Can nobody do it better than Prince Harry and his beautiful educated Wife Princess Meghan.”
Prince William in Aberdeen
The TikTok post came on the same day the Prince of Wales visited Aberdeen and appeared to draw few supporters, walking through empty streets with no royal watchers visible around him.
William was mocked in a series of posts on X by anti-monarchy campaigners, one of whom wrote: “William weaves his way through the crowds of well wishers in Aberdeen.”
And a Harry and Meghan fan wrote: “Prince William is met by a huge crowd of 5 people in Aberdeen today. His security team fought hard to keep all 5 people away, somehow they managed to do so.”
Royal crowds were particularly big in 2018 following the frenzy of interest in Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
The turnout for William in Aberdeen does, however, remain a far cry from the kinds of crowds Harry and Meghan drew during their time as working royals and his visit was announced in advance on September 6 meaning there was plenty of time for word to get round.
Harry and Meghan’s Popularity and Royal Exit
Harry and Meghan have long argued they did not quit the monarchy but rather were forced out because staying had become intolerable. They also suggested other royals were jealous of their success.
However, Harry’s book Spare does also identify other points of conflict, including their relationship with Prince William and Princess Kate.
There were arguments around their wedding, including famously about bridesmaids’ dresses, but Meghan also offended Kate by referencing her pregnancy hormones.
As early as June 2018, William accused Meghan of being rude while over that summer the working environment in their shared private office became “poisoned,” Harry wrote.
Polling shows the Sussexes were popular when they were working royals in Britain, even as late as November 2019, the same month they first left the U.K. for Canada.
That was the last batch of polling before they quit the palace in January 2020, after which their popularity in Britain began to slide.
The latest figures from YouGov give Prince Harry a net approval rating of minus 30 and Meghan minus 40, though the duchess’ standing with 18 to 24 year olds does appear to have rallied.
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about Charles and Queen Camilla, William and Kate, Meghan Markle and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.
