It’s been reported time and time again that Meghan Markle is the queen of mastering her timing – with a backlog of appearances, announcements and TV and podcast interviews seemingly emerging in the moments where they are most likely to ‘inconvenience’ the Royal Family. 

The Duchess of Sussex, meanwhile, continues to insist that she has closed those ‘chapters’ of her life after stepping down as a working royal alongside Prince Harry in 2020. And she appeared to do just that earlier this year, replacing her venomous attack on the monarchy with her sugary sweet and wholesome lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan –  which reached the top 10 in both the US and the UK, with viewers poring over the mother-of-two’s fun lifestyle hacks and foodie delights.

However, while the raging storm of Meghan and Harry’s fury against the royals has appeared to abate in recent months, a bombshell move from ‘Team Sussex’ last week has once again proved that the couple remain on a path of revenge. 

Meghan, 43, and Harry, 40, were revealed to have hired the PR executive in charge of promoting the controversial royal drama, The Crown, from series three to six – prompting insiders to describe the shock decision as ‘almost beyond belief’. 

However, a source now tells us that Meghan’s move to hire Emily Robinson as the Global Publicity Director for her and Harry’s own personal brand was very much a deliberate tactic as she prepares for a fresh new attack on the royals.

An insider says, ‘The choice to hire a top communications exec from The Crown is very deliberate. Meghan knows very well that William in particular was furious over how his family was portrayed in the show so this will really push his buttons and that’s exactly what she’s aiming for. 

‘Meghan is certain the royals are looking for ways to show her and Harry up, deride them as outcasts and do damage to their Sussex brand. In her mind, the Royal Family started this war by freezing her out, and now she’s making it her mission to win.’ 

Since its launch in 2016, Netflix’s The Crown has gone down in history as the one of the streaming giant’s most popular shows of all time. The royal drama – which was forced to add a disclaimer that described the shocking scenes as ‘a fictional dramatization’ – has scooped up 21 Emmys and has been watched by 73 million households. 

However, with its depiction of all of the painful, humiliating and heart-breaking events that the Royal Family have endured since the final years of King George VI and throughout the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the show has also been mired in controversy and criticism – not least from the royals themselves. 

While Harry has confessed to watching the show, Royal Biographer Robert Hardman revealed last year that Prince William ‘rolls his eyes’ when the drama is mentioned, and claimed he was ‘sickened’ by the scenes depicting his late mother, Princess Diana’s ghost, in season six. 

But now the source says that, after residents of Sussex rallied against Harry and Meghan for failing to celebrate ‘Sussex Day’ earlier this month despite being Duke and Duchess of the county, calling for them to be stripped of their titles, Meghan is all too aware that Prince William will have the power to do just that when he becomes monarch. 

The source says, ‘It’s clear as mud William’s got this huge axe to grind, that he’s on this mission to strip them of their royal titles, and now it seems he’s also intending to do the same to Archie and Lili down the line, too. 

‘That’s a declaration of total war as far as she’s concerned. There’s no part of her that believes the situation is fair or forgivable so it boils down to fighting fire with fire. She and Harry will fight for what they’re entitled to, stick up for themselves when they’re being unjustly attacked like this, and continue to build themselves a successful life in America however they need to.’ 

Meghan revealed last week that she was also set to take a hiatus from her podcast, ‘Confessions of a Female Founder’ to concentrate on her lifestyle brand, As Ever. 

However, during the same interview with Emma Grede on her podcast , ‘Aspire’, Meghan appeared to aim yet another subtle dig at the royals. 

When asked how she would change anything if she could ‘rewrite her public narrative’, Meghan coolly replied, ‘Yes, I would ask people to tell the truth.’ 

Now, despite telling her own version of the truth through her and Harry’s explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and their subsequent  Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan, the source says Meghan is now gearing up once again to ‘hit back any way she can’ against the monarchy. 

The insider says, ‘She’s got mega offers for a tell-all book and has been hinting that it may be time to drop that hammer and expose more behind-the-scenes drama from her time at the Palace, and make a fortune while doing it. 

‘She’s also hell-bent on doing more overseas ‘royal-style’ tours with Harry, despite knowing full well how much it bothers William and The King. She doesn’t need Palace approval to lead global initiatives and sees no reason she and Harry should give that up. The word is she’s even looking closely at all William and Kate’s charity ventures and coming up with ways she and Harry can show them up.’ 

 Away from the limelight, the Sussexes new recruit is also said to have built her own reputation behind-the-scenes for ruling the publicity for The Crown with ‘an iron fist’. 

And the source says that from years of experience, Meghan knows that to succeed and turn their public image around, she and Harry need a strong team behind them. 

They reveal, ‘They’ve spent big on this and when top talent comes their way, Meghan is quick to snap it up fast. That’s what happened with this new recruit, which was a total no-brainer from Meghan’s point of view because of the experience she brings to the table. 

‘If that comes with the added benefit of upsetting the royals, then all the better. Meghan is determined that she won’t just ‘roll over’ in the face of criticism and she’s feeling more empowered and self-righteous than ever.’