EXCLUSIVE: Meghan Markle Accused of 'Hijacking' King Charles' Hopeful Cancer Battle Update With Her 'Super-Cynical' Career Move
Meghan Markle is once again facing backlash for her poorly timed announcements.
Dec. 15 2025, Published 7:20 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle is facing fresh criticism after announcing a new project with Prince Harry just hours before her father-in-law, King Charles, shared his uplifting update on his cancer recovery, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, revealed she and her husband, Harry, 41, are executive producing a documentary about Girl Scouts selling cookies, set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
Cookie Documentary Announcement
Markle shared a childhood photo with her mother, Doria Ragland, on Instagram.
The documentary, directed by Alysa Nahmias, follows "four tenacious girls who strive to be a top-selling 'Cookie Queen,' navigating an 800-million-dollar business in which childhood and ambition collide," according to a synopsis.
Markle, who was herself a Girl Scout, gushed she felt a "personal affinity" for the project, adding the opportunity to get involved in backing it through her Archewell Productions firm was "irresistible."
She also posted a never-before-seen childhood photograph on Instagram showing herself with her mother, Doria Ragland, captioned "full circle."
King Charles' Cancer Message
King Charles released an update on his cancer recovery the same day.
The timing of the announcements coincided with the release of King Charles' pre-recorded message on his cancer diagnosis and recovery, which formed part of Britain's Stand Up To Cancer 2025 campaign, a collaboration between Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.
Charles, 77, aired his message at 8pm on Friday, December 12, and it saw him stress the importance of early detection and screening programmes when it comes to saving people from cancer.
"Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives," he said in the recording. "I know, too, what a difference it has made in my own case, enabling me to continue leading a full and active life even while undergoing treatment."
Palace Fury Over Timing
Markle announced a new documentary project with Prince Harry.
Markle's cookie movie announcement has now provoked criticism from royal commentators and sources close to the palace due to what one called its "super-cynical" and "tone deaf" timing.
One source said, "The timing comes across as utterly self-serving. The project itself is fine, but it inevitably steals attention from a significant and hopeful moment for the king."
Another insider added: "It feels like a deliberate effort to shift public attention at a time when the royal family is already under intense scrutiny for other matters. It is both super-cynical and tone deaf and feels as if it was timed to take away from Charles' announcement. She effectively tried to hijack it, as everyone knew it was coming hours before, as it was announced by global media."
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Observers have noted Markle remains estranged from dad Thomas during his medical crisis.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have previously produced content highlighting their personal lives, including the controversial Netflix documentary about Megxit and Harry's panned project, Polo.
Experts say Cookie Queens fits a familiar pattern of blending high-profile storytelling with a family-friendly veneer.
One media analyst said: "Meghan is leveraging and profiting from themes of nostalgia and empowerment and cozy family dynamics and traditions, yet many see the timing as tone-deaf, especially given her father-in-law's health announcement and her father Thomas Markle's recent medical crisis."
Thomas Markle Sr., 81, recently underwent emergency surgery to have a leg amputated, and Markle says she has sent him a letter after calling around hospitals and emailing him at a year-old address, despite her other estranged family members knowing his exact location.
Insiders say the former lighting director is recovering from his shock procedure and is in "as good spirits as can be expected considering he is still estranged from his daughter."
Markle also recently launched her Netflix Christmas special, which is packed with her gushing about the importance of family traditions over the holidays.
Her biscuit documentary will showcase the challenges and triumphs of four girls aged 5 to 12 navigating cookie sales, blending entrepreneurship, family dynamics, and childhood ambition. Its premiere at Sundance is scheduled for late January, with a broader release date in 2026 yet to be confirmed.
