Meghan Markle Supporters Accuse Royal Commentators of Double Standards Over Harriet Phillips’s 16-Page Interview

A magazine interview featuring Harriet Phillips, the wife of Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips, has sparked a debate over how women connected to the Royal Family are treated by the British media.

Harriet recently appeared in a 16-page feature for HELLO!, discussing her charity work, childhood and relationship with Peter.

However, the timing of the interview, which coincided with King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Caribbean tour, prompted some supporters of Meghan Markle to question why Harriet had not faced the same criticism previously directed at Meghan.

Meghan Markle Supporters Question the Reaction

The discussion began after social media users pointed to the relatively positive reception of Harriet’s magazine feature.

Some argued that Meghan would have faced considerable criticism had she published a similarly extensive interview during a major royal engagement.

One X user wrote: “I PROMISE you if Meghan Sussex did a SIXTEEN PAGE spread in ANY magazine and ONLY spoke about her charity work like Mrs Phillips, Richard, the rest of the British Press, and her haters alike would have had SO MUCH to say.”

The commenter added: “Let’s stop pretending that Meghan gets equal treatment.”

Another questioned why Harriet’s interview had attracted comparatively little criticism.

A third user suggested that Meghan’s racial background contributed to differences in how the two women were discussed, although that interpretation remains an opinion expressed on social media.

The comments reflect a broader disagreement about media scrutiny surrounding Meghan and Prince Harry, whose own interviews have frequently generated controversy.

Royal Commentator Defends Harriet’s Interview

Daily Mail royal commentator Richard Eden offered a different perspective, arguing that the circumstances surrounding Harriet’s feature were not particularly controversial.

“No one is remotely bothered about the interview,” he said.

“Not only are the couple low-key, but it’s a very positive article, focusing on her charity work.”

His remarks highlighted a distinction between the relatively private lives of Peter and Harriet Phillips and the much greater public attention surrounding Harry and Meghan.

Nevertheless, some social media users maintained that the timing of the interview raised questions about whether similar standards were being applied.

Harriet Phillips Opens Up About Her Romance With Peter

Beyond the controversy, Harriet’s HELLO! interview offered a personal account of her relationship with Peter Phillips.

The couple met properly in early 2022 through their children, who played on the same hockey team.

Harriet explained that she had always hoped to meet someone naturally rather than through a formal introduction.

“We knew of each other through our children and through mutual friends,” she recalled.

“We met watching our children play hockey, chatting casually in a very ordinary way.”

Their relationship developed following a difficult period in Harriet’s life, as her father had died shortly before she met Peter.

Reflecting on the timing, she said she sometimes wondered whether that loss had played a part in bringing Peter into her life.

She described her husband as her “best friend” and said she believed they were “meant to be together”.

Inside Peter and Harriet’s Family Life

Peter was previously married to Autumn Kelly, with whom he shares two daughters, Savannah and Isla.

Following his divorce, he began a relationship with Harriet, and the couple announced their engagement in August 2025.

They married in June 2026, approximately ten months after announcing their plans.

During the magazine interview, Harriet also reflected on her countryside upbringing as one of four siblings, recalling her love of tennis, school sports, horse riding and family pets.

While the feature primarily focused on her personal life and charitable interests, its publication has unexpectedly reignited discussion about the media treatment of Meghan Markle.

The disagreement ultimately centres on whether Harriet’s interview was viewed differently because of its content and her comparatively low public profile, or whether wider inconsistencies exist in the scrutiny applied to royal family members.