Meghan Markle and Prince Harry missed out on the chance to use their royal roles to become very “powerful” members of the Royal Family, a royal expert claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have long lamented that the institution failed to invest in them, with Harry claiming his family squandered an “enormous opportunity”.
The couple were handed the leadership of the late Queen’s Commonwealth Trust shortly after their wedding, becoming president and vice president of one of Elizabeth II’s most beloved charities.
Royal commentators have noted the Sussexes would likely have helped the Royal Family nurture public support across the Commonwealth had they stayed on.
But expert Bonnie Brownlee noted Harry and Meghan also missed out on a great opportunity to secure a leading role within the institution.
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Brownlee told True Royalty’s The Royal Beat: “Meghan could have been extremely helpful to the Royal Family, especially in the Commonwealth.
“There are a lot of millennials around the world in the Commonwealth nations. I think Harry and Meghan would have been highly successful.
“And sometimes I think they didn’t realise how powerful they already were before they moved to Los Angeles.”
The Canadian correspondent added: “They could have brought a great deal of openness, fairness and change.”
Meghan and Harry would have been particularly helpful in supporting King Charles III’s efforts to strengthen his position as the new sovereign across Commonwealth nations.
The Royal Family has been facing growing pressure to acknowledge the institution’s role in colonialism.
During this week’s visit to Kenya, the King expressed his “greatest sorrow and deepest regret” for the suffering Kenyans experienced as they battled for independence from British rule.
He however stopped short of offering a full apology despite demands from survivors and local rights groups seeking for reparations from the British Government.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Express that Harry and Meghan “would undoubtedly have had considerable appeal” to Commonwealth nations and have helped quell some of the resentment.
He added that while the Commonwealth is rife with internal disputes, “potentially it has an important role to play on the world stage.”
