Meghan Markle and ‘s latest statement will be viewed as “quite incendiary” by after veiled references in a broadside against social media company , a PR consultant told Regalrumination.com.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s foundation took aim at for scrapping fact-checkers “undoubtedly responding to political winds,” in an apparent reference to the president-elect.
And they praised “leaders who refuse to kowtow to bullying” as they suggested Meta had abandoned “public safety in favor of profit, chaos, and control.”
U.K.-based PR expert Nick Ede told Regalrumination.com: “Unfortunately there could be a repercussion from this, especially with Trump, you know, poking this ginormous bear and not expecting something back from it.
“Trump will see this as a battle he wants to win and potentially will target them in whatever way he does it.”
Regalrumination.com has contacted Trump’s team via email for comment.

Samir Hussein/WireImage and Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
Why It Matters
Harry and Meghan’s statement risks reigniting conflict with incoming President Donald Trump, with whom they have scrapped in the past.
Any conflict with Trump could have high stakes for Harry and Meghan, as , which has close ties with the president-elect, has argued, including in court, that the prince should not have a U.S. visa after stating in his book Spare that he has taken illegal drugs.
What to Know
Zuckerberg announced that Meta, which owns , and WhatsApp, would be scrapping fact-checkers two weeks before Trump was due to be sworn in and cited the president-elect as a factor in their original introduction.
Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation said in a statement: “In an already confusing and, in many instances, intentionally disruptive information environment, Meta has shown their words and commitments have very little meaning or integrity.
“As they announce these changes undoubtedly responding to political winds, they once again abandon public safety in favor of profit, chaos, and control.
“The company’s decision to rollback protections is so far away from its stated values and commitments to its users—including the parents and families calling for change around the globe—that it’s now deeply deceptive.”
“We urge Meta to reconsider and reinstate policies to protect all users,” the statement continued. “We also call on leaders across industries to uphold their commitments to integrity and public safety in online spaces, and we applaud leaders who refuse to kowtow to bullying.”
Ede said: “We know how Trump is and he has said he is looking to see how Prince Harry, having taken drugs, was able to get citizenship in the U.S.
“This is quite incendiary in that respect because we know Trump is not a fan of theirs and this could be a way to negatively effect them.
“I don’t think this is the last of this and I don’t think it will stop.”
Ede did say though that the move was otherwise a positive one for their long-standing campaign on social media: “It’s good they’re still putting their money where their mouth is in the fact [that] they are crusaders for making sure social media companies are a safe space.”
The Sussexes have been working in this area for many years, including through The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Network, which they set up in 2024.
Harry and Meghan’s History With Donald Trump
Harry and Meghan have both long been known to oppose Trump, Meghan because she on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore in 2016.
The prince also made his feelings clear when he said Trump had “blood on his hands” over climate change during a prank call by two Russian comedians posing as in March 2020.
And later that year, they campaigned for Americans to vote using language that appeared to contain coded criticism of the leader, sparking a clapback from him. “I’m not a fan of hers,” Trump said in September 2020.
However, they stayed out of campaigning in the recent 2024 election. There had been speculation Trump might deport Harry in response to questions over whether he disclosed his past drug use on immigration forms.
“I don’t give a damn if he did drugs. It means nothing,” said in October. “I can tell you that our father and our entire family has tremendous respect for the monarchy.”
What People Are Saying
Mark Zuckerberg made the Trump backdrop to scrapping fact-checkers in his original announcement: “After Trump first got elected in 2016, the legacy media wrote nonstop about how misinformation was a threat to democracy. We tried in good faith to address those concerns without becoming the arbiters of truth.
“But the fact checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created, especially in the U.S.”
Prince Harry and Meghan spoke out against the policy in a statement from their Archewell Foundation: “Given the profound global impact Meta’s decisions have on the world—of which many are still recovering from or actively suffering from—the politics of one country should never determine whether freedom of expression and civil and human rights are protected in the online spaces so clearly shaping or destroying democracy.
“Online spaces must be designed with public safety and well-being at their core, resilient against political pressures and lapses in corporate leadership.
“This latest move from Meta is an example of a social media company—fully aware of their power to shape public discourse—disregarding any responsibility to ensure that power is not abused and instead allowing either ego or profit, likely both, to guide decisions that affect billions.
“We are particularly alarmed by plans to abandon commitments to diversity and equity, coupled with internal policy changes that undermine protections for marginalized communities.”
What Happens Next
Harry and Meghan launched The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Network in 2024 to support families who have lost a child whose death was linked to social media.
As a result, it is highly likely they will have more to say in the future about Meta, though the delicate wording of their statement makes it clear they are looking to swerve a full war of words with the Trump family.
Only time will tell whether the veiled references will be enough to provoke a response from Trump.
Williams Brown is chief royal correspondent for Regalrumination.com, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly , at and read his stories on Regalrumination.com‘s
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