Former Vanity Fair Editor Says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Will “Live to Regret” Not Keeping in Touch with the Royal Family

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games

(Image credit: Getty)

published 5 June 2023

Former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter is speaking out about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, saying in a recent interview the couple will “live to regret” not keeping in touch with the royal family, per OK.

“That will come back to haunt them at a certain point,” he said. “They have no cousins that they see, or uncles or aunts, and they don’t see grandparents, except for one.” (He’s likely referring to Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, who is often present with the pair and their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.) In their defense, Harry did see a lot of his cousins recently at the Coronation—Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall—and a smattering of uncles and aunts but yes, Carter is right, they don’t see them frequently.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Salute to Freedom Gala

Carter also commented on the decision to live in Montecito in particular, saying there is “nothing, nothing, nothing to do” in the area.

“It’s a 40-minute drive from L.A.,” he said. “There can’t be many kids there, because young families can’t afford it.”

And Carter continued to not hold back, adding “they have too much attention. For people like that, unavailability is your greatest asset. If you’re out there too much, the public has a chance to get sick of you.” And the coup de grâce: “I think they’ve made every wrong move you can make,” Carter added.

According to OK, the royal family is worried Harry could divulge more secrets while testifying in the phone hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers, which will take him back to the U.K. mid-June. Harry has testified in similar cases against other media outlets like Associated Newspapers Ltd. and News Group Newspapers, where he called out the royal family, who he claimed “withheld information” from him and Meghan and made “secret agreements” with publications to protect their own public image.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hold hands

“It has his family terrified,” a source said about Harry’s upcoming court appearance. “They are nervous about what Harry could ultimately reveal, and rightly so. His book was bad enough. He could elaborate more on the story, planting claims in court. Was the whole family leaking dirt on Harry and Meghan to keep the spotlight off themselves?” The source continued “Harry is having his day in court, and no one in the royal family is looking forward to it. They are all extremely nervous about what he’ll say.”

A separate source added “He still feels betrayed by his family. This could be Harry’s moment to turn the screw just a little bit tighter on all of them.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.