Prince Harry And Meghan 'Treading Very Cautiously' After 'Tacky' Royal Endorsement Deal

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are in uncharted territory. They were working royals who stepped back on relatively amicable terms. So what comes next? Well, it’s not going to be just a milk endorsement deal.

Queen Elizabeth’s oldest grandson Peter Philips and Princess Diana’s niece Kitty Spencer have both brought embarrassment to the royal family after starring in Chinese milk advertisements. When the British press uncovered their commercials, it left a bad aftertaste for many royal watchers.

“It just feels tacky, and it feels like a conflict of interest, and it feels very much like they are cashing in on their royal connections,” royal expert Katie Nicholl told Vanity Fair. “Whether or not they’re HRH, they're related to the queen. They are members of the royal family and they're using that for their own commercial gain.”

The commentator argued that part of the big backlash Philips and Spencer are receiving is because Meghan and Harry are at a crossroads. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have to figure out how to make money, but Nicholl expects that the two will try to maintain a higher standard.

“[H]e is still a Prince of England and she is still the Duchess of Sussex,” Nicholl added. “They will be acutely aware and will be treading very cautiously ahead of and around signing any deals.”

It’s worth noting that the Sussexes tried to make that clear when they stepped back. The Buckingham Palace statement that confirmed they’d no longer use their HRH titles or carry out official engagements also said that they wanted to respect the Queen’s wishes. “While they can no longer formally represent The Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty,” the statement said. That apparently means staying away from the milk deals.