Meghan Markle “Feels Very Much Under Siege” As She Prepares to Launch Her Lifestyle Brand American Riviera Orchard, Royal Author Says

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One never “gets used” to being criticized and nitpicked—and Meghan Markle is no exception. On the precipice of the launch of her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, her podcast with Lemonada Media, and her upcoming cookery show for Netflix, she “reportedly feels that every move she makes is met with criticism as she continues to face scrutiny over her upcoming and previous projects,” The Daily Express reports. It has to be an utterly exhausting way to live, with every move dissected and so much negative energy leveraged your way. No one is meant to live life as the world’s collective punching bag.

“Meghan feels very much under siege,” royal author Tom Quinn said. He added that “She has reached the point now where she thinks that anything and everything she does will be unfairly criticized,” he said. “Like her husband, she feels that people are unfairly picking on her—she cannot understand why people don’t admire her work.”

Prince Harry, too, unfortunately knows the feeling; his selection as the winner of the Pat Tillman Award for Service was similarly criticized, but Harry—along with Meghan—showed up to last week’s ESPYs to accept the award anyway. Body language expert Darren Stanton said, per The Daily Express, that Meghan’s body language on July 11 showed that the night was “all about Harry,” and that she wanted her husband to “feel special” and be the “center of attention.”

Stanton said of last Thursday’s awards ceremony “Meghan often takes a dominant lead in the engagements she attends with Harry, but she wanted her husband to be in control,” he said. “It was her way of saying, ‘This is Harry’s night.’” Stanton added that “Meghan feels safe and loved while in his company,” and “Harry reciprocated those feelings by adopting the dominant role and wanting to be the authoritative figure. He didn’t shy away from showing Meghan affection, either, as he maintained a closeness to Meghan throughout the ceremony.”

Though the world may gripe and hurl insults and say what they’ll say, it remains clear that the two firmly have each other’s backs: “Meghan felt a huge sense of pride, respect, and compassion for all Harry has done,” Stanton said. “She still sees Harry as the love of her life and is happy to be by his side in these special moments.”

No doubt Harry feels the same.