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    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Dislike One "Really Lazy Phrase" That's Often Used to Describe Them, Says Couple's Close Friend

    "It has an impact on how they're perceived and the way people talk about them."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 18 October 2026 In News

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    Prince Harry wears a suit without a tie and looks somber while wife Meghan Markle wears a white top and has long black hair
    (Image credit: World Health Organisation via Getty Images)
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    Meghan Markle and Prince Harry moved to the U.K. from California earlier this month. Since then, they've reportedly gotten their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, settled into new schools, and embarked upon their first official engagement. But according to a source close to the couple, there's one phrase the Sussexes really dislike hearing in relation to their work.

    Speaking to the Times, one of Meghan and Harry's friends said, "'Working members of the Royal Family' is a really lazy phrase. He hates it, she hates it."

    The friend continued, "They are not 'working' for the institution but they are members of the Royal Family and they work. Their days are built around their family life and their work. She's running a business seven days a week."

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    Basically, the constant insinuation that Meghan and Harry aren't working on their own projects, purely because they're not senior royals anymore, seems to be quite galling.

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decorating cupcakes

    "They are not 'working' for the institution but they are members of the Royal Family and they work."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    The couple's friend elaborated, "Things like [their visit to] Nottingham aren't done in the name of the institution or the Crown, but Harry is the son of The King, he is still a member of the Royal Family, he's just not a member of the institution."

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    Per the source, "It's misleading to call them 'former royals.' It has an impact on how they're perceived and the way people talk about them."

    Meghan Markle and Prince Harry holding hands, waving and smiling

    "Their days are built around their family life and their work."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Nottingham earlier this week seemed to show just how popular the couple has remained.

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    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

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