Being famous means having people in your face all the time, which can obviously get pretty exhausting.
That’s why Meghan Markle’s staff reportedly banned the public from taking photos of the duchess at Wimbledon on July 4. But when they did, all you-know-what broke loose. Now, fans are super upset with Markle over the move and are calling her out in a new report.
Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
What people are saying
A 64-year-old woman named Sally Jones told The Daily Telegraph (via Express) that a royal protection officer told her she could not take photos of Markle because she was at the event “in a private capacity.” Jones was not happy about that, saying the move is “another example of silly control freakery.”
Jones added that the officer “was quite embarrassed,” and that “he appeared a bit mystified as to why he was being asked to make such a request. She followed up by telling him that the request was “bonkers.”
In response, a palace source told The Daily Telegraph, “It’s not unusual for people accompanying Members of the Royal Family at private, or public, events to ask members of the public not to take photographs.”
“It is to enable Members of the Royal Family to engage with people and events,” the insider continued.
The matter has moved to social media
People have taken the issue to Twitter, where even royal reporters are spewing criticism.
“Meghan should be advised that this doesn’t play out terribly well. The Royal Family occupy a very privileged position. That doesn’t mean they aren’t entitled to some privacy. But not at a global sporting event,” Rebecca English, a royal correspondent for The Daily Mail, tweeted.
Piers Morgan also slammed the move, saying, per Cosmopolitan, “If you want to be private, go back to America and live privately.” Yikes.
This not the fault of her PR team whatsoever. But Meghan should be advised that this doesn’t play out terribly well. The Royal Family occupy a very privileged position. That doesn’t mean they aren’t entitled to some privacy. But not at a global sporting event;
Police Protection Officers don’t take orders from the Communications team. I don’t know who told them to ask Wimbledon fans to stop taking photos. But they normally answer only to one person/persons: their bosses https://t.co/osl9zaLcgo
For what it’s worth, photographers snapped photos of Markle chatting with fans and signing autographs, so it’s not like she gave everyone a cold shoulder.
Markle is a private person
Although she’s one of the most popular people in the world, Markle likes to keep some aspects of her life private — like baby Archie Harrison’s christening on July 6.
That day, the Archbishop of Canterbury christened the two-month-old in a “private” ceremony at Windsor Castle. Roughly 25 people were in attendance, including his godparents, who the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have chosen to keep a secret.
She and Prince Harry did offer the world a glimpse of the event though. They shared two intimate family photos on Instagram after the ceremony. The caption also thanked the public for its service. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are so happy to share the joy of this day with members of the public who have been incredibly supportive since the birth of [Archie],” the statement reads.
“They thank you for your kindness in welcoming their first born and celebrating this special moment,” the post continues.
With that, it looks like Markle can be reasonable when it comes to engaging with the public. But there will be times when she wants to keep things totally to herself. And hey, we’ve all been there. Right?
