Meghan Markle stepped down as a working member of the British royal family more than five years ago, but she continues to take brutal swipes at the firm.
In fact, the Duchess of Sussex has publicly made no less than six jabs at her husband Prince Harry’s family this year, and it’s only June.
Meghan’s return to Instagram on New Year’s Day, her first time back on social media since 2018, provided the main platform for her many prods.
The Duchess’s Netflix lifestyle cooking show, With Love, Meghan, and her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, served as her accomplices.
Here’s a look back at ten times Meghan made a not-so-subtle stab at her estranged in-laws this year.
Passionately parched
In February, Meghan unveiled the launch of her lifestyle brand, As Ever, previously American Riveria Orchard, through an Instagram video.
The Duchess suggested the firm previously prevented her from sharing her passions during her time as a working royal.
“Cat’s out of the bag,” Meghan, who cut a casual figure in jeans, said in the clip.
“I’m shocked we’ve been able to keep this a secret for so long.”
Meghan said those who followed her axed lifestyle blog The Tig in 2014 would know she has “always loved cooking and crafting and gardening”.
“This is what I do, and I haven’t been able to share it in the same way for the past few years, but now, I can,” she said.
Cryptic contempt
All eight episodes of Meghan’s awaited lifestyle series With Love, Meghan debuted on Netflix on March 4 and appeared to be riddled with swipes.
The Duchess’s first reference to her exit from royal life came in the first episode as she introduced her first guest, makeup artist Daniel Martin.
“(Daniel) has just been in my life for the before, during and after, shall we say,” Meghan said cryptically.
Free from constraint
While the ex-working royal appeared to steer clear from directly slamming the royal family in her show, viewers were quick to find small clues in the episodes about the Duchess’s current feelings towards her in-laws.
In one episode, the Duchess appeared to hint at her frustration towards the constraints of her former life and suggested she lacked “creativity” during her brief stint as a working royal.
“I just want to raise a glass to you guys. This feels like a new chapter that I’m so excited that I’m able to share, and I’ve been able to learn from all of you,” she said.
“And here we go, there’s a business! All of that is part of that creativity that I’ve missed so much.”
In the trenches
In April, Meghan opened up about the early days of her relationship with Harry in her first-ever podcast appearance with friend Jamie Kern Lima.
The Duchess used the moment to make a jab at the media intrusion the couple endured when they publicly confirmed their relationship in 2016.
She claimed she and the Duke were “in the trenches” in those early days.
“You have to imagine, at the beginning, it’s all butterflies – but then we immediately went into the trenches together,” she told Kern Lima on the The Jamie Kern Lima Show.
“Right out of the gate, like six months into dating.”
Sky News presenter Gabriella Power discussed the moment with To Di For Podcast host Kinsey Schofield, who called the characterisation “absurd” and “over-the-top”.
Working woes
In an interview with the New York Times in April, Meghan appeared to make another dig at the firm as she responded to a question about work.
“I need to work, and I love to work,” the Duchess said of why she continues to put herself in the public eye despite facing criticism.
Prince Harry’s wife said she had worked from the age of thirteen, only stopping when she became engaged to Prince Harry in 2016 and quit her job as an actress.
Vexed over visions
In the seventh episode of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, Prince Harry’s wife was joined by Cassandra Morales Thurswell, founder of the beauty brand Kitsch, and the pair discussed all things business.
They covered “how grit, intentional design, and a scrappy mindset were essential in transforming a humble start into a thriving global business”.
Speaking about balancing motherhood and business, Meghan appeared to take a swipe at the monarchy and her short stint as a working royal.
“Before I was a mum, I’m going to give a speech with a baby on my hip. I had a whole vision,” she said.
“Then you fast forward, granted I had a lot of external things happening by the time I had both pregnancies and (both) babies.
“But it was not the way (that) I envisioned it.”