King Charles III has barely touched down in the United States, and he is already being pulled back into one of the royal family’s messiest debates: Meghan Markle.
The latest backlash centers on a pointed comparison between Charles’ past with Queen Camilla and Prince Harry’s marriage to Meghan. Critics argue that Charles was once treated as a tragic romantic figure who could not marry the woman he loved, while Harry is often criticized for choosing and defending Meghan.
For some royal watchers, that difference looks like hypocrisy.
The argument is simple. Charles eventually got sympathy for his long relationship with Camilla, even after his marriage to Princess Diana collapsed. Harry, meanwhile, continues to face pressure from critics who believe he should distance himself from Meghan.
Charles And Meghan Comparison Splits Royal Fans
The online post driving the discussion claimed that Charles’ inability to marry Camilla years ago was framed as “the tragedy of two lovers who weren’t allowed to be together.”
The same post argued that Harry’s marriage to Meghan has not received that same sympathy, even though the Duke chose a wife who “supports him and values him for who he is.”
That comparison quickly split commenters. “The royal family is unfair by its very nature,” one person wrote. “It’d be a long night if we brought up all the ways it is unfair.”
Others pushed back, arguing that Charles did not exactly have an easy path with Camilla either. “He had to wait for his grandmother to die to even have a possibility of marrying Camilla, and his mother refused to attend the wedding,” another user noted.
Harry Said Charles Once Bonded With Meghan
The current criticism is especially loaded because Harry has previously described Charles as warm toward Meghan before their 2018 wedding.
In his memoir ‘Spare,’ Harry recalled Meghan and Charles bonding over music for the ceremony. According to Harry, Charles supported their preference for an orchestra instead of a traditional organ.
“Meg evoked so much in him, qualities I’d rarely seen,” Harry wrote. “In her presence, Pa became boyish. I saw it, saw the bond between them growing stronger, and I felt strengthened in my own bond with him.”
That memory now sits awkwardly beside the years of tension that followed.
William Reportedly Had Early Concerns
Harry has also said Prince William raised concerns before the wedding, though he insisted his brother did not try to stop him from marrying Meghan.
“He never tried to dissuade me from marrying Meghan,” Harry said during an ITV interview with Tom Bradby. “But he aired some concerns, and said, ‘This is going to be really hard for you.’”
Harry said he still did not fully understand what William meant at the time, though he suggested it may have been connected to the press scrutiny that later surrounded the couple.
Harry And Charles Remain Strained
The relationship between Harry and Charles worsened after Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior royals and moved to California.
Their Oprah Winfrey interview, Netflix documentary, and Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’ deepened the rift. Still, there have been small signs of possible repair. Harry has said he wants to reconnect with his father, and the two reportedly held a private meeting last September.
He has also suggested he wants to spend more time in the U.K., possibly with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
For now, though, the Meghan-Camilla comparison has given royal critics another reason to revisit the same uncomfortable question: why did Charles eventually get the romance narrative, while Harry still gets treated like the royal problem?
