Celebrities

Meghan Markle was hellbent on being ‘a superstar’ after quitting royal family: expert

Meghan Markle had her sights set on being “a superstar” after quitting royal life, according to an expert.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020 and high-tailed it across the pond in a desperate search for privacy.

But according to royal commentator Jane Barr, the “Suits” alum, 42, was hellbent on becoming a superstar of sorts back on home soil.

Meghan Markle had her sights set on being “a superstar” after quitting royal life, according to Jane Barr, who pens the From Berkshire to Buckingham newsletter. AP

“[Meghan] would not have been happy with the ultimately quiet or truly independent/non-royal lives that William and Harry’s cousins actually live,” Barr wrote in her From Berkshire to Buckingham newsletter.

“Looking back to Megxit, Harry was not just the grandson of the queen, the same relationship all his cousins had to the sovereign, he was the son of the future king.”

Barr added that the mom of two was much more open to a life in the limelight, despite suggesting otherwise.

What’s more, the royal expert noted that the idea of the Sussexes being “half in, half out” with their royal duties simply wouldn’t have been feasible.

“William and Harry were — from birth — preeminent royals, while their cousins, although celebrated, surely, began as secondary royals and only continued to fade as the years went by.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior members of the UK’s royal family in 2020. Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation

“Harry seems so bitter about being the spare, but he has always been quite senior to his cousins, and treated accordingly,” she added.

Elsewhere, Barr said that Prince Harry and Meghan’s situation is different to that of other royals, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who don’t have lucrative deals and partnerships in the pipeline.

“Meghan wanted to take her HRH and her title and be a superstar in her own sphere on the international stage,” Barr noted, adding that this would be “wholly separate from the control of the crown.”

Despite high-tailing it across the pond in a desperate search for privacy, Jane Barr claims that Markle was open to a life in the limelight. HARPO PRODUCTIONS/AFP via Getty

After teasing several “exciting” projects since signing with talent agency WME last year, Markle has recently announced the impending launch of her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.

While products from her new brand are not available for purchase yet, Markle sent out jars of strawberry jam to an exclusive group of celebs last month.

The royal expert added that the idea of the Sussexes being “half in, half out” with their royal duties simply wouldn’t have been feasible. Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women

The former actress shipped out lemon-filled gift baskets containing fresh fruit jam to 50 of her friends, many of them being high-profile figures.

It was reported that she could be looking to make a whopping seven-figure sum within the first year of launching the brand.