Meghan Markle’s appearance on MasterChef Australia was hailed as a PR victory by many, but behind the scenes, the Duchess of Sussex was reportedly unhappy with the way she was presented on the show.
Her team had specifically requested that the word “royal” not be used, and according to sources, this request was not met.During the Channel 10 promotional video that revealed Meghan as a guest judge, host Poh Ling Yeow declared, “We’ve had MasterChef royalty in the kitchen before but no one like this.” According to news.com.au, Meghan’s team “were out of doors when it was filmed, so did not know what was said.”
Why did the ‘royalty’ comment leave Meghan Markle frustrated?
One report claimed that Meghan’s team “specifically” made it clear that she did not want the word “royal” used in her introduction.
The comment was also inconsistent with Meghan’s previously stated wishes regarding her name and identity.In her lifestyle series “With Love, Meghan,” she corrected her friend Mindy Kaling for using her maiden name. “It’s also funny that she keeps saying ‘Meghan Markle’. ‘You know I’m Sussex now,’ she said, confirming that the shared last name has become deeply meaningful to her since having children. Following this correction, she was later introduced as Meghan Sussex during an appearance on the ‘Drew Barrymore Show.’
The wider controversy surrounding Meghan Markle’s visit to Australia
MasterChef Australia frustration wasn’t the only point of contention during the couple’s four-day trip. The decision to monetize Meghan’s clothing through AI fashion platform OneOff, in which she announced her partnership and investment while the couple was in Australia, has drawn criticism from royal commentators.Royal commentator Richard Palmer warned: “This is perhaps the most striking example yet of Harry and Meghan’s efforts to market their royal brand.”
Meghan is said to receive between 10 and 25% commission on her clothing sales through the app.A separate dispute has also arisen over whether Australian taxpayers should bear the cost of police protection, given that the couple’s representatives have repeatedly described the trip as “private” rather than an official royal tour. More than 47,000 people have signed a petition titled “No taxpayer funding or official support for Harry and Meghan’s private visit to Australia.” NSW Police confirmed officers would be deployed during the tour as it “will require some additional security measures”.
“The couple also visited Bondi Beach during the trip, where they met survivors of the tragic terrorist attack that claimed 15 lives in December.
