The California-based couple have been under intense media scrutiny over the past seven days for a series of PR mishaps and speculation regarding their affiliated charities, from Archewell to wildlife charity, African Parks.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first “set tongues wagging” when they were pictured with Prime Minister, Andrew Holness and his wife Juliet. Two years ago, the Prime Minister confronted Prince William and Princess Kate during their Caribbean trip, telling them their country was ready to “move on”.
Mr Holness previously met with Prince William and Princess Kate when they embarked on their royal tour of the Caribbean in March 2022, as they travelled to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
Referring to the appearance on the Caribbean Island, Talk TV’s Jeremy Kyle said: “Many people have jumped on this, saying your father is ill with prostate problems, your sister in law is in hospital, you’ve trashed the monarchy, and now you’re taking photos with a leader who doesn’t want your father as King anymore.”
Royal biographer, Tom Bower, responded: “Harry has gone there with Meghan just to stoke up more trouble, more controversy and make sure he is in the headlines and pictures. It’s just appalling how the Sussexes capitalise constantly on their status to undermine the monarchy from which they are earning their living.”
Harry and Meghan had travelled to Jamaica for the premiere of the new film Bob Marley: One Love, as guests of Paramount Studios.
In a wider discussion about the duo’s visit, commentator, Isabel Oakeshott, said: “How many well-paid PR advisors do the couple have? Surely, if I was a researcher, I would give them [Harry and Meghan] a briefing note about Jamaica and I would have found Youtube footage which would have shown our King to be, being humiliated, and would have said, perhaps this is not the best idea.”
During the same week, the couple were dealt another blow at their production company, Archwell, as a top executive quit.
Bennett Levine joined Archewell as a co-ordinator for the company in 2021 and was later promoted to manager in 2022.
Mr Levine is said to have left the company, which was set up by the couple in 2020, earlier this month and confirmed his job change on social media.
The latest staff exit comes just months after Meghan excitedly declared that the couple had “so many exciting things on the slate”.
Royal commentator, Jennie Bond said on Talk TV: “It’s not looking good. There has been a tsunami of people leaving… It’s bad news for Archewell Productions and the foundation.”
Prince Harry has come under further scrutiny following his relationship with an African charity and has been facing calls to sever ties with the organisation over allegations of “rape and abuse” by their eco-guards.
The Duke of Sussex has been urged by human rights campaigners to step down from the board of directors at African Parks, which he has been president at African Parks for six years.
It comes amid allegations that their eco-guards “raped and beat indigenous people in the Congo basin”. The organisation raised their concerns that people of Baka were being “violently abused” by armed guards employed by the charity.
The charity said it had been made aware of the allegations last year after a letter from Survival International – but added the human rights organisation had “chosen not to co-operate, despite repeated requests” for more details.
African Parks was founded in 2000 and aims to protect Africa’s national parks and advance wildlife conservation around the world.
Prince Harry not only sits on the board, but is also a former president of the non-profit organisation, which manages 22 national parks and protected areas across 12 countries.
A spokesman for Prince Harry’s Archewell Foundation told the Mail on Sunday: “When the Duke became aware of these serious allegations, he immediately escalated them to the CEO and chairman of the board of African Parks, the appropriate people to handle next steps.”