'Hilarious': Meghan Markle Faces Brutal Online Backlash Over New 'Rent-a-Royal' Scheme

Meghan Markle might have embroiled herself in another controversy after rumors surfaced that she has ambitious plans to become a “rent-a-royal,” which has drawn strong reactions from social media users.

This has especially irked many people as she is no longer an official member of the royal family after she and her husband, Prince Harry, disassociated themselves from The Firm and relocated to California to gain professional and financial independence.

Ever since their relocation, the couple has been engaged in charitable events, business ventures and speculated paid appearances in events, along with catering to parenthood to their two children -- Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

According to RadarOnline, insiders close to the latest development claim that Markle is keen to position herself as a modern-day “rent-a-royal” for high-profile celebrity events and charitable endeavors.

An insider told the publication, “The attraction for wealthy hosts will be obvious – they're not just getting a celebrity appearance, they're getting somebody with a duchess title, royal links and global recognition attached to the British monarchy. That still carries enormous cachet in certain circles, especially among affluent Americans fascinated by royalty."

The source added that critics feel that the duchess of sussex’s increasing alleged cashing in on the royal title despite distancing herself from the institution might come across as “self-promotion.”

The insider further stated, “People around Meghan insist she sees these appearances as strategic networking and brand-building opportunities, but critics believe the line between philanthropy, celebrity influence and commercial self-promotion has become increasingly blurred.”

It is also being speculated that Harry and Markle's rumored extravagant lifestyle in California is said to be one of the reasons behind their increased need for collaborations, deals and public appearances.

“There's a perception among detractors that she and Harry have built an extremely expensive California lifestyle that now requires a constant stream of deals, partnerships, appearances and carefully managed publicity to sustain, but this plan feels like scraping the bottom of the barrel," the insider added.

As soon as this news started doing the rounds on social media, a number of netizens called out the Suits star.

One X users wrote, “She’s definitely mentally ill. Can’t someone go and get her admitted to a psych ward?”

Another user stated, “It’s all she’s got that is remotely marketable.” One individual chimed in, “Hilarious, she is nothing more than a girl from LA. Far from being a royal.”

“Her husband has a title, she does not,” commented another.

Meanwhile, the insider also told the media outlet that Harry and Markle’s current lifestyle reportedly costs them $6 million a year.

The source said, “Maintaining security, staff, travel, PR operations and the image of being global power players reportedly comes with eye-watering costs that some estimate at around $6million a year for Meghan and Harry.”

The insider added that a frustration within the royal family is reportedly stemming from Harry and Meghan wanting to allegedly benefit from the privileges and glamor that come from royal titles despite distancing themselves from the institution.

The insider noted, “But back in Britain, the frustration is that Meghan and Harry publicly distanced themselves from royal life while continuing to benefit from the glamour and exclusivity attached to their titles. The fear within royal circles is that the Sussex brand is gradually evolving into something much closer to celebrity aristocracy for hire, where the prestige of royalty is selectively used to open doors, secure influence, and maintain relevance in elite social and business environments. It seems Meghan is never done with plans to cash in on her Sussex title."