Sussexes too late to fix damage

As Harry and Meghan continue their “charm offensive” to rebuild royal bridges, a royal expert tells _new_ that it could be too little, too late

- Mitya Underwood

Prince Harry and Meghan’s latest attempt to “build bridges and move on” has backfired, a leading royal expert tells new.

The pair sparked another backlash after Meghan was accused of turning last week's celebrations for her 44th birthday into a PR stunt, while Harry, 40, was accused of allowing a “damaging” dispute within his charity to play out publicly.

Former royal editor Duncan Larcombe says that despite the Sussexes' best efforts to repair their reputations with the help of high-profile publicists, they seem unable to escape the bad press.

That was certainly the case when the account of her lifestyle brand, As Ever, posted a birthday tribute to her. Alongside a snap of the duchess was the caption, “Celebrating the woman behind it all. She pours her heart, vision & magic touch into every detail, and today, we raise a glass to her! Happy birthday to our founder @meghan.”

While comments on the post were switched off, some unimpressed followers took to X with comments like, "Meghan runs that account herself, yet here she is talking to herself in the third person."