To be or not to be, that’s the question that now hounds Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet’s future… no no, their existence in America.

For the couple to have a life… no, correction, to have a lavish, royal life in the U.S., it is very important for them to maintain their “Royal” label even though they are no longer senior royals and have stepped down from their official duties. The constant maintenance of this title is what will ensure many crucial components of Harry and Meghan’s life:

• It is majorly their royal status protecting Harry’s U.S. visa from scrutiny.
• Giving life to Meghan’s business ventures.
• Getting them publicity and winning them multi-million dollar deals, like the one they have with Netflix (for now).
• Keeping their financial scales balanced even as the donations received through Archewell Foundation have hit an all-time low.

In the former days of their Royal estrangement, Harry and Meghan kept their fame alive by feeding the media secrets of the Royal family and the life the two lived respectively while living in the U.K. The controversies were fuel enough, earning them Netflix agreements and book deals. But since then that form of publicity has only harmed their image.

I believe in one principle — no matter how right and justified you are, the tone, volume, and, in the case of the Sussexs, the method of delivering your logic can make or break your argument. And for Meghan and Harry, their ways to maintain their stardom continue to wreak havoc on their present, even as they have ditched their initial drive to air the Royals’ dirty laundry.

Harry and Meghan’s four-day Colombia trip leaves them “embarrassed”

On many fronts, the trip was a success as it projected Meghan as a people person as she comfortably interacted with the locals and the officials and showed how Harry is not defined by his royal heritage. But as reported by OK! — and very visible on social media platforms — their decision to tour Colombia has received much criticism and backlash, leaving the couple “embarrassed” and allegedly wondering if continuing to do these international trips is really the solution to their problem.

“They’ve been left embarrassed by this latest backlash, especially as they faced similar comments when they went to Nigeria. They want to help raise awareness to the issues some of these countries face and they know their profile can highlight that. They also know that these trips help elevate their status in Hollywood and in turn help their brand. They don’t want to stop doing them but are unsure of what to do next to win everyone over again.”

For starters, Harry has been very vocal about the lack of security provided to him and Meghan in the U.K. and highlighted it as one of the reasons for Meghan not visiting the country. But his verbally revealed fear was followed by the decision to tour Colombia. Then there is the outrage aimed at the duo for trying to exploit Kate and King Charles’ cancer by staging these royal visits when they left the royal life for its many pressures.

“Meghan and Harry want to have their cake and eat it. But they need to decide if they want to be Hollywood stars or royalty, you can’t be both.”

Moreover, the reason behind their Colombia visit has been dragged through the mud as well. After claims that they were invited to hide the Colombian government’s scandals, Colombian official Andres Escobar has now slammed the couple for the £1.5 million it cost his government to provide them security and also called out Vice President Francia Marquez for inviting them simply because “she saw them on Netflix.” 

“There are many, many Colombians who are hungry and have a lack of basic needs. They invested this money because the Vice President wanted to meet two high-profile public figures and brush aside criticism and problems that we have here. We are in an economic crisis and eight billion pesos have been spent for the visit of Harry and Meghan, Colombian military planes and helicopters have been used and the money could have been better spent.”

It is understandable why Meghan and Harry might be feeling lost — everything they have done since stepping away from the Royals has been criticized to its last breath, whether it is Meghan’s jams, Harry’s polo adventures, or his decision to fight the U.K. media publications for breach of privacy. For the foreseeable future, it is hard to envision a time when their choices won’t get thrown under the microscope.