The Nerve with Maureen Callahan

Episode: Royal Roller Coaster: Meghan and Harry's Past, Present and Possible Future & Prince William's Plans
Date: December 26, 2025
Host: Maureen Callahan
Guests: Kinsey Schofield (Royal Expert), Lady Colin Campbell (Royal Biographer)

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Nerve" delivers a sharp, candid, and often irreverent analysis of the tumultuous year for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, alongside insight into Prince William's evolving stance on royal titles. Maureen Callahan is joined first by royal commentator Kinsey Schofield for a no-holds-barred rundown of the “year in royal scandal,” followed by an explosive interview with Lady Colin Campbell. Together, they dissect the Sussexes' ongoing controversies—including their estrangement from Meghan’s father, struggles within Hollywood, PR disasters, and future prospects—culminating in headline-grabbing revelations about the Markle family dynamics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meghan Markle’s Letter to Her Ailing Father (01:56–05:30)

• Cold Reconciliation: Meghan sent her father Thomas Markle, who is gravely ill, a letter characterized by insider sources as more of a “press release than a private letter.” The consensus: there will be no reconciliation.

  • “Her last correspondence to him is a breakup letter. It’s kind of BS.” — Kinsey Schofield [03:53]

  • “It’s so cold hearted…” — Maureen Callahan [04:48]

• Hypocrisy with the Media: Meghan claimed her issue with her father is his talk to the press, yet her own team is also briefing the media.

  • “Somebody from your team is talking to the media. Because The Times sure has incredible details…” — Kinsey Schofield [03:16]

2. Meghan and Harry’s Hollywood Woes (06:15–14:10)

• Failed Projects: Both Meghan and Harry faced successive commercial failures:

  • “Confessions of a Female Flounder” flopped; podcast deals were dropped.
  • Netflix and Spotify disappointed, with revelations that Meghan hired 17 producers for “Archetypes,” yet produced “unlistenable” content.

    • “She’s not any kind of talent at all... there’s a difference between being influential and... infamous. Meghan falls under the infamous category.” — Kinsey Schofield [06:49]

    • “Why does this trick need 17 people to... You and I tried listening... It was nearly impossible. She’s so dull.” — Maureen Callahan [12:27]

• Desperation for Connections: Meghan is trying to ingratiate herself with new power brokers in Hollywood (e.g., Jeff Bezos, Kardashians).

  • “She realizes that her days at Netflix are numbered, and so she’s desperately trying to position herself...” — Kinsey Schofield [06:15]

3. Accusations of Opportunism (08:24–11:23)

• Disaster Tourism: Meghan and Harry were accused of halting actual relief work at a wildfire site so they could get a “private tour,” sparking backlash.

  • “Real residents... doing hard, physical, emotional, economic work... And these two assholes, and tell everybody else to stand down...” — Maureen Callahan [08:52]

  • “You’re disaster tourists.” — Kinsey Schofield [09:09]

• Insensitive Timing: Meghan’s penchant for launching projects or making announcements on dates coinciding with personal or public tragedies (e.g., Princess Diana’s birthday, family losses) is repeatedly called out.

4. Strained Marriage and Public Perception (14:00–21:17)

• Vanity Fair Revelations: Allegations that Meghan shopped a post-divorce memoir.

  • “My favorite piece from the Vanity Fair article is the Meghan shopping a post-divorce, post-Harry divorce book around.” — Kinsey Schofield [14:00]

• Harry’s Dysfunctional Ties to Diana’s Memory:

  • Harry remains fixated on his mother’s death, which Meghan is perceived to exploit for attention and sympathy.

    • “He perseverates over this… It’s all he talks about. It’s all he fixates on.” — Maureen Callahan [16:12]

• PR Missteps and Fame Chasing:

  • Meghan’s Netflix holiday special and viral “twerking hospital video” are seen as desperate attempts to boost her brand, usually backfiring.

5. Title Wars & The Future of the Sussexes (31:50–37:17)

• Meghan’s Use of Titles: Meghan’s insistence on styling herself “Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex” echoes a post-divorce or widowed royal status.

  • “By insisting everybody call her Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. That is the divorced title or the widowed title.” — Kinsey Schofield [29:30]

• William’s Strategic Silence: Prince William, now considered likely to eventually strip the Sussexes of their titles, is said to prefer to ignore them, seeing their antics as self-defeating.

  • “His thinking now is more that he’ll just leave them be because they have rendered their titles meaningless.” — Maureen Callahan [31:50]

  • “He’s not speaking to Harry at all. He has no desire to speak to Harry at all…” — Kinsey Schofield [32:46]

• Predicted Futures: Meghan’s possible move into the beauty or reality TV spaces; Harry seen as a “rent-a-prince” for paid appearances.

  • “I predict Meghan’s eventual landing spot post-divorce is going to be a Real Housewives franchise...” — Maureen Callahan [37:04]

Notable Moments & Quotes

On Meghan’s “Authenticity” and PR Blunders

• “You’re being your authentic self? As opposed to what—your bullshit, fake self?” — Maureen Callahan [21:03]

• “They are a PR crisis team’s worst nightmare.” — Kinsey Schofield [23:21]

On the Kardashian Party Fiasco

• “Harry looking drunk, off his face, leering at Kris Jenner’s rack, while his wife stands there smiling at Kris like a Stepford wife…” — Maureen Callahan [26:35]

• “This was her putting her haters in their place. But the reality is, that does not translate into success or popularity. So you got into a party, you know what I mean?” — Kinsey Schofield [27:45]

On the Media’s Turn

• “They put Harry and Meghan on the cover and the headline was 'American Hustle.'” — Maureen Callahan [11:23]

• “There really is no there there with either one of them.” — Maureen Callahan [11:23]

Interview with Lady Colin Campbell (40:35–67:21)

Royal Bombshell: Meghan’s Alleged Plans Against Her Father

• Sordid Rumors: Lady Colin Campbell recounts a 2020 call from a source “close to Harry and Meghan” that alleged Meghan planned to accuse her father of sexual “interference” (the British euphemism for molestation) to justify her estrangement from him—should the need arise after his death.

  • “Harry wants you to know that the reason why Meghan can’t ever reconcile with her father is... her father interfered with her.” — Lady Colin Campbell [42:44]

  • “I actually screamed and ranted and raved like a lunatic down the phone ... because I knew it wasn’t true.” — Lady Colin Campbell [44:41]

• Lady Colin’s Research & Pushback: Campbell quickly dismissed the accusation as baseless, citing Meghan’s years of public praise for her father and ensured her publishers knew of the ploy.

  • “She’s been trying that on for size since 2020.” — Lady Colin Campbell [47:29]

• Thomas Markle’s Reaction: Lady Colin says Thomas Markle knows about these floated accusations, comparing his tragic experience to King Lear, and indicating he’s likely taken legal steps to protect his legacy posthumously.

  • “He is a living King Lear and she is Goneril and Regan rolled into one.” — Lady Colin Campbell [50:17]

• Origins of the Paparazzi Photo Scandal: The infamous staged paparazzi photo of Thomas Markle, widely cited as the beginning of his rift with Meghan, was—according to Lady Colin’s sources—likely orchestrated by Meghan herself.

  • “According to her father and her sister... they believe she set it up with Jeff Rayner to create the crisis that was indeed created and that would prevent Thomas Markle Senior from coming to the wedding.” — Lady Colin Campbell [63:41]

• Irreparable Reputational Damage: Both Lady Colin and Maureen assert that Meghan’s treatment of her family—and especially her father—has irreparably destroyed her public standing.

  • “This is her biggest sticking point and will always be. And I think it’s irretrievable now at the end.” — Lady Colin Campbell [58:05]

On Meghan’s Future Prospects and Legacy

• Alienation from All Sides: Even repeated attempts to reinvent herself, especially among Hollywood elites and other influencers, only alienate her further.

  • “All she does is make enemies… She is her own worst enemy and I don’t think anyone in America will forgive her.” — Maureen Callahan [60:43]

• Final Assessment:

  • “The woman is insupportably dreadful…” — Lady Colin Campbell [66:39]

  • “That is perhaps the quintessential description of Meghan Markle, and I’m going to adopt it, if you don’t mind: insupportably dreadful.” — Maureen Callahan [66:39]

Noteworthy Timestamps

• [01:56]: Meghan’s breakup letter to her father
• [06:15]: Meghan’s fading prospects in Hollywood; industry skepticism
• [09:09]: Accusations of ‘disaster tourism’
• [14:00]: Post-divorce memoir rumors & Harry/Meghan marriage insights
• [23:21]: ‘PR team's worst nightmare’—on Meghan’s twerking hospital video
• [26:35]: Kardashian party/Bezos–Kardashian drama
• [31:50]: The future of the Sussexes’ titles; William’s calculations
• [40:35]: Lady Colin Campbell interview begins
• [42:44]: Alleged ‘interference’ rumor and origins
• [50:17]: Thomas Markle as tragic ‘King Lear’
• [54:05]: Legal steps taken to document falsity of potential accusations
• [63:15]: Meghan’s alleged involvement in paparazzi photo scandal
• [66:39]: “Insupportably dreadful”—epitaph for Meghan’s reputation

Conclusion

This fiery episode delivers a scathing, comprehensive account of the Sussex saga in 2025—with both media and public sentiment turning sharply against Meghan and Harry, their future in the U.S. elite and royal circles increasingly bleak, and major personal and reputational rifts unlikely ever to heal. Lady Colin Campbell’s bombshell testimony supports the broader narrative of self-sabotage and fuels new controversy around the Markle family rift. For listeners, this is both an irreverent and revealing deep dive into modern royal drama—one that pulls no punches.