Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's Fans Are Being Accused of 'Driving' the Kate Middleton Rumors
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are enveloped in an unfolding royal controversy that they had nothing to do with — they are adjacent to what’s happening on social media. It seems that the Sussex Squad, the duo’s passionate fanbase, is being accused of fueling the rumors about Kate Middleton and her health crisis.
We’ve all heard the conspiracy theories from the Princess of Wales getting a facelift to negotiating a divorce from Prince William — there’s no evidence to support these claims, and it probably isn’t helping Kate’s mental health during this delicate time. Mark Borkowski, publicist and author of The Fame Formula. How Hollywood’s Fixers, Fakers, And Star Makers Created the Celebrity Industry, criticized Harry and Meghan fans for being a “part of an army of people on social media who are driving more and more conspiracy theories.”
He told Newsweek, “I think there are some lines of demarcation. Particularly the health of the king and Kate. I don’t think [Harry and Meghan are] deploying their troops. This is more about the danger of foot soldiers who are uncontrollable because they enjoy their own coverage.” The big concern is the “spreading [of] rumors” because it’s a “danger to truth.” While Borkowski may have a point about some of the recent stories about Kate, the full blame still falls upon Kensington Palace’s communications team for not taking care of their PR blunder in the early days of the Princess of Wales’ disappearance from the public eye.
In general, the royal family has been messy with their communication style ever since the exit of the Sussexes from their senior roles. Harry and Meghan also suffered from royal fans who were against them after they left the U.K. for the U.S. — so, both sides have been victims of social media rumors. A 2021 Bot Sentinel study revealed that Meghan was the target of harassment by certain Twitter accounts. “This campaign comes from people who know how to manipulate the algorithms, manipulate Twitter, stay under the wire to avoid detection and suspension,” Christopher Bouzy, the CEO of Bot Sentinel told Buzzfeed News. “This level of complexity comes from people who know how to do this stuff, who are paid to do this stuff.”
Both women have been victims, and the royal family doesn’t need each side to fuel the feud even more. Whether someone is #TeamKate or #TeamMeghan, the Duchess of Sussex made a strong point in her interview with Oprah Winfrey. She said, “So much of what I have seen play out is this idea of polarity. If you love me, you don’t have to hate her. And if you love her, you don’t need to hate me.”
Click here to see a complete timeline of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s feud with the royal family.