It's been a difficult start to the year for the Sussexes. Initially, it seemed that 2025 would be an exciting time for and ; the Duchess made a return to social media and announced the upcoming release of her new lifestyle show, .

But within a matter of days, things started to sour. Meghan was forced to due to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, and a short time later, both Meghan and Harry were after helping out at a food distribution centre for victims.

Then came a scathing 8,000-word article about the couple in the American magazine . The cover piece, titled 'American Hustle', set out what life was like ­'Inside and Meghan Markle's Big Business Ambitions, 5 Years After Their Royal Exit'.

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It contained troubling claims about what it's allegedly like to work for the Sussexes, complaints from their neighbours in Montecito, and the bombshell allegation that a member of Meghan's team had reached out to a publishing house to .

To date, Harry and Meghan have not publicly responded to the article - and that's all for the best, according to one expert. Royal PR expert and former communications secretary to the late Queen, Ailsa Anderson, claimed that the pair's decision to not respond is likely down to the fact that they would "start adding fuel to the fire" if they were to do so.

She told a recent episode of Hello!'s A Right Royal Podcast: "If you start adding fuel to the fire, then you're just elongating a story. So, I think there are times to stand up and be counted, and there are times to say nothing."

Ailsa continued: "I think actually they're right. Just let it go and move forward. Otherwise, they'll be creating a story, a further story of their own making."

In its explosive article, Vanity Fair quoted sources as claiming Meghan could be "really, really awful" when things did not go her way at work and that projects often went poorly due to the couple's 'demands'. Other claims include the suggestion that Harry underestimated the impact his explosive memoir Spare would have on relations with his family, that Meghan has , and that the couple lacked ideas when it came to their and Spotify deals.

One producer, said to have worked with the Sussexes, accused them of "naivety", while an unnamed worker who reportedly collaborated with Meghan and Harry on their Spotify deal said: "The thing you're escaping is the reason you're compelling."

The former employee further said that Meghan and Harry "didn't do what celebrities do on podcasts, which is turn on the mic and talk. They wanted a big theme that would explain the , but they had no ideas".

The article also quoted sources who are said to be , saying that Harry and Meghan 'entitled' and 'disingenuous'. But those close to the Sussexes have pointed to when they first moved to Montecito back in 2020, who said that the couple would wave to people in the street and had become a "giving, caring, participating part of our community."

The Sussexes are reportedly upset by the claims; according to The Times, they , with a source close to them describing them as 'distressing'.