The number of times Prince Harry, Meghan Markle violated their own privacy

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal duties in January 2020 in search of privacy and to become financially independent of the monarchy. But their constant criticism of The Firm and the royal family through various interviews only attracts even more press coverage.

Royal author Sally Bedell Smith said the couple has an obsession with privacy while "constantly violating their own." She compared the Sussexes to Prince William and Kate Middleton who she said "have really done a remarkably good job in preserving a zone of privacy."

"It was challenged at the beginning by the paparazzi and they drew a very, very strong line about what they would tolerate and what they would challenge," she told Newsweek's "The Royal Report" podcast.

Meanwhile, she said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex "are so obsessed with privacy—and they're constantly violating their own privacy with interviews and obviously Harry's book." Smith, author of "Diana: In Search for Herself" and the soon-to-be-released "George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Shaped the Monarchy," shared that she would be "stunned if William were to write any kind of a book that would, for example, try to counter what Harry has written and said."

She explained, "Because I think there's no way to win that it just escalates. But they're just, William and Kate, I think are handling it very well."

The public had expected Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to lie low after they left their royal duties, famously dubbed Megxit, and moved to California to start a new life. But they have only courted drama and controversy with their every move and it started with their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.

The interview saw the couple share a series of serious allegations against The Firm and certain royal family members. They talked about a senior royal who raised concerns about the skin colour of their son, which sparked accusations of racism, and how the institution turned its back on the duchess when she asked for help for her mental health struggles (She admitted to having suicidal thoughts while a working royal).

Prince Harry also claimed that King Charles III removed their security detail when they were at their most vulnerable in Canada when they were being hounded by paparazzi. He also claimed that Prince William and his father are stuck in the "system" and do not know how to get out.

Queen Elizabeth II, via Buckingham Palace, responded to their claims in a statement saying, "recollections may vary" while Prince William told a reporter that the royal family is very much not racist.

Prince Harry, on his own, continued to criticise the royals in his interview with "The Me You Can't See" docuseries on Apple TV+. He accused his father of causing him generational pain.

No longer willing to be silenced, the Sussexes again launched a series of damaging revelations against the Firm in their "Harry & Meghan" Netflix docuseries which aired on Dec. 8, 2022. Then came the most damaging of them all, the duke's memoir "Spare" which came out on Jan. 10, 2023.

In promotional interviews for his book, he accused Queen Consort Camilla of leaking stories to British tabloids for her own PR campaign. In his memoir, he talked about being physically attacked by Prince William. Despite these claims, the royal family stuck to their motto of "never complain, never explain."

On the other hand, instead of receiving support, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have only received criticism over their constant airing of grievances against the royals. As a consequence, their popularity has only plummeted not just in the U.K. but also in the U.S.A. as people are tired of their constant whinging.

They have only made themselves a laughing stock with their privacy concerns becoming a major focus in comedy shows, including the animated series "South Park," which mocked Megxit in the episode called "Worldwide Privacy Tour."

But a spokesperson for the couple clarified that they "never cited privacy as the reason for stepping back. This distorted narrative was intended to trap the couple into silence."

The representative said their "statement announcing their decision to step back mentions nothing of privacy and reiterates their desire to continue their roles and public duties. Any suggestion otherwise speaks to a key point of this series." Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "are choosing to share their story, on their terms, and yet the tabloid media has created an entirely untrue narrative that permeates press coverage and public opinion. The facts are right in front of them."