MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry were today blasted for having “lost the plot” after releasing a woke birthday message to celebrate the duchess turning 40.
The slick clip saw Meghan ask A-lister pals to join her 40×40 mentorship programme, with Melissa McCarthy chatting to the duchess while Harry even made an appearance in the background juggling.
But Australia’s Today Show hosts, Karl Stefanovic and Sophie Walsh, weren’t sold on her chat with fellow actress Melissa McCartney as she sat in her zen office space in the Sussexes’ Cali mansion.
Sophie, 35, said: “I love that she’s lecturing people about getting back to the workplace and she quit her job as a royal after less than two years.”
Karl, Australia’s answer to Piers Morgan, then noted that the pair are already making millions ‘from home’ thanks to their deals with Netflix and Spotify.
He continued: “And to have that dog’s life, just lying there in front of the fire that’s not on, on a pillow.”
“Why doesn’t she talk normally? ‘To harness the woman’s mobility as she works back…’ I mean, come on!”
“No wonder Harry’s outside juggling!”
Sophie added: “Harry’s lost the plot.”
The clip launched Meghan’s 40×40 initiative which sees the duchess ask A-listers including Adele and Stella McCartney to donate their time.
Meghan is encouraging people around the world to spend time to “help women reentering the workforce”.
In the outtakes at the end of the video, Harry can be seen juggling outside through a window.
The Duchess of Sussex joked with actress Melissa McCarthy in the two-minute clip in her first appearance since giving birth to daughter Lilibet.
In the light-hearted outtake, McCarthy asked Meghan about her birthday plans, suggesting: “What about afternoon tea with your chickens?”
Meghan then replies: ” No see I don’t really think tea with the chickens is -“.
But the pair are then interrupted when Melissa apparently spots Harry in the background, with the prince juggling in the garden outside.
Meghan then turns and bursts out laughing when she spots her husband.
However it is unclear how Melissa would have been able to see the Duke of Sussex through the window with the laptop not facing Harry.
The Aussie hosts aren’t the only ones who felt the clip was insincere – with Royal expert Angela Levin believing Meghan was mocking the Queen.
She wrote on Twitter: “Anyone else think that Meghan and her friend Melissa McCartney were mocking the Queen in the birthday video?
It comes as…
- Meghan releases video with Melissa McCarthy to mark 40th birthday & asks Hollywood pals to donate 40 mins
- Fans think they’ve spotted first snap of Lilibet in Meghan Markle’s 40th birthday video
- Three ways Duchess takes a swipe at the Royals in cringe 40th birthday video
- Six things the duchess could achieve as she enters new ‘power decade’ – and the one thing she won’t
- Queen, Kate Middleton and William wish Meghan a happy 40th birthday with sweet pictures of duchess
“Both holding old fashioned cup and saucer like Meg used in her blog after 1st meeting with queen.
“Melissa sipping from the cup wearing fancy hat and gloves?
“The mockery shows what she thinks of the Royal Family.
“She’s got what she wanted and is confident she can outsmart us all. We just have to wait for Harry’s outpouring in his memoir.”
Explaining her new programme in a post on her Archewell website Meghan said: “In reflecting on my 40th birthday and the many things I am grateful for, I’m struck that time is among our most essential gifts.
“Time with our loved ones, time doing the things we love, time spent learning, laughing, growing, and the sacred time we have on this earth.
“Amongst the most valuable gifts of time is also time spent in service to others knowing that it can contribute to incredible change.
“To that last point, and with my 40th lap around the sun in mind, it made me wonder: what would happen if we all committed 40 minutes to helping someone else or to mentoring someone in need?
“And then what would happen if we asked our friends to do the same?”
