Montecito 'Disaster': Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2023 Has Been Their Worst Year Yet

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's 2023 has been, for all intents and purposes, a PR disaster that culminated in being named two of the year's "biggest losers" by a major Tinseltown publication. A leading royal commentator has summed up their post-royal lives as "nothing short of a disaster."

The year started with the release of Harry's long-awaited memoir, Spare, which, among its numerous controversies, claimed that Queen Camilla was "dangerous." Then came the "will they/won't they" show fiasco of King Charles III's coronation in early May, with the Duke of Sussex making a brief appearance at the crowning ceremony before quickly leaving the U.K. for California. (Meanwhile, Meghan snubbed the historic event entirely.)

Two weeks later, the pair were subject to what became known as a "near catastrophic car chase" by paparazzi through the streets of Manhattan. In what many analysts said was a "break with the status quo," numerous fellow celebrities and even the NYPD and Mayor of New York City questioned their characterization of the pursuit on the Big Apple's narrow, slow roads.

The Montecito royal rebels were delivered a major blow in June when Spotify dumped them from their roster and released the duo from the contract they signed with the audio giant in 2020. An executive from the company called the couple "f------ grifters" during a podcast appearance. This was preceded earlier that month by Harry becoming the first senior British royal to give testimony in person in a London court since 1891.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's marriage was frequently called into question, in addition to their living arrangements and the status of their $100 million dollar Netflix contract, which remains intact. September's Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany, remains the ex-working royals' only high-profile joint appearance of the year, which was not without criticism for Meghan.

But in what many experts and commentators call a "firm signal" that Hollywood is no longer interested in the duo, being labeled as "losers" by the industry's namesake outlet "will be hard to overcome."

"In 2020, the royal duo fled a life of ceremonial public service to cash in their celebrity status in the States. But after a whiny Netflix documentary, a whiny biography (Spare — even the title is a pouty gripe), and an inert podcast, the Harry and Meghan brand swelled into a sanctimonious bubble just begging to be popped — and South Park was the pin. The show’s 20-minute 'World-Wide Privacy Tour' takedown in March was savage, and was followed by Spotify dropping (Meghan’s podcast) 'Archetypes,' with a top executive labeling the duo 'grifters,'" The Hollywood Reporter shared.

Daily Express reported on the commentator's opinion.