A royal author has drawn a striking comparison between Meghan Markle and Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, while promoting her upcoming book Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles. Catherine Mayer, whose latest work examines the lives of eight royal women including Elizabeth I, Victoria, and Kate Middleton, argues that the Duchess of Sussex experienced a similarly "brutal" exit from the royal family as Boleyn, who was executed after being falsely accused of treason, adultery, and incest.
Parallels Between Meghan and Anne Boleyn
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mayer claims historical archives reveal striking similarities between the two women. She writes: "Consider the following description: 'A commoner raised to royalty, she is a heroine to some, a hate figure to others. Her adherents trumpeted her potential to refresh the monarchy. Her enemies disparaged her as an interloper... Still the wedding went ahead – accounts differ on the number of ceremonies – but soon she was gone, her exit brutal.'" Mayer notes that this description applies equally to Meghan Markle and Anne Boleyn, adding that the same details hold true word for word.
Public Hostility and Backlash
Mayer further describes Markle as the least popular royal aside from Prince Andrew, attributing her damaged reputation to palace briefings and a culture hostile to opinionated women. She questions what Markle has done to warrant such hostility, drawing a parallel to the treatment of Boleyn. Over the years, Markle has faced significant backlash regarding her lifestyle brand As Ever, Netflix projects, and social media activity.
Most recently, in May 2026, Markle faced criticism after posting photos of her children, Archie (7) and Lilibet (5), on social media, despite her public stance on child online safety. This came shortly after she delivered a speech at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, where she addressed the importance of protecting children from the harms of social media and dangerous algorithms.
Defending Her Actions
Critics accused Markle of hypocrisy, with one X user stating, "You can't lecture people about childhood safety online while also plastering your children online." Another commented that flying 6,000 miles to speak about children's online dangers while sharing her own children online undermines her credibility. In response, a representative for Markle told Newsweek that there is a clear distinction between sharing family memories and exposing children to public scrutiny. The representative explained that by obscuring their faces, Markle demonstrates the principle she advocates for: giving children privacy, agency, and protection in a digital world. The spokesperson added that this approach reflects her message in Geneva: that parents can share family experiences while taking deliberate steps to protect their children's identities and digital footprint.
