You Won’t Believe Who Crushed the Cringe Meter in 2025: Meghan Markle or Prince Harry? The Royal Rivals’ Most Embarrassing Year Exposed!In a year that saw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue their rollercoaster ride through Hollywood highs and public lows, 2025 will go down in history as the ultimate battleground for royal awkwardness. Once the fairy-tale couple who captivated the world with their modern romance, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have transformed into tabloid magnets for all the wrong reasons. From viral videos that left fans cringing to high-profile flops that screamed “out of touch,” the pair’s attempts to reinvent themselves as global influencers backfired spectacularly.

But the burning question on everyone’s lips: Who was more cringe – the outspoken Duchess with her lifestyle empire dreams or the spare heir turned reluctant celebrity? Buckle up as we dive deep into the year’s most mortifying moments, backed by insider scoops, viral reactions, and expert takedowns. Spoiler: It’s a close call, but one of them takes the crown – and it’s not pretty.The Setup: A Year of Desperate Rebrands and Relentless Scrutiny2025 started with high hopes for the Sussexes. Fresh off their Montecito bubble, they teased new projects, including Meghan’s much-hyped Netflix series and Harry’s ongoing philanthropy efforts. But as the months rolled on, what unfolded was a masterclass in public embarrassment.
Royal watchers and media pundits alike pointed to their “biggest blunders,” noting how the couple seemed trapped between clinging to their royal titles and chasing Hollywood stardom. pagesix.com Page Six summed it up brutally: “They keep getting tripped up by chasing relevance in Hollywood while insisting on royal protocol.” pagesix.com Social media exploded with memes, and X (formerly Twitter) became a battlefield of opinions, with users debating who embodied “cringe” more intensely. @TheFabBookLoverThe couple’s joint ventures, like their Archewell foundation’s cash-strapped operations and staff turnover, only fueled the fire. pagesix.com But it was their individual missteps that truly stole the spotlight, turning 2025 into a cringe-fest royale. Let’s break it down, moment by excruciating moment.
Meghan Markle’s Cringe Chronicles: From Netflix Nightmares to Twerking TravestiesIf there’s one word that dominated headlines about the Duchess of Sussex in 2025, it’s “cringe.” Meghan’s ambitious foray into lifestyle content kicked off with her Netflix holiday special, “With Love, Meghan,” which promised cozy Christmas vibes but delivered a cocktail of narcissism and awkwardness that had viewers reaching for the remote. theroyalobserver.com +1 Royal expert Hugo Vickers dismissed it as lacking “genuine holiday spirit,” while X users like @annabelmaud called it an “absolute cringe-fest.” The show featured Meghan corralling celebrity guests into forced crafts and baking sessions, complete with hair-in-food hygiene horrors and pretentious handwriting on every tag. @ViQueenie One viral clip showed her teaching adults how to decorate a tree like it was groundbreaking innovation – pure eye-roll material.But the cringe didn’t stop there. Meghan’s “As Ever” lifestyle brand launched with fanfare but fizzled into a flop, barely scraping sales despite her relentless promotion. @freedom_007__ Critics on X blasted it as “out of touch,” with @ViQueenie highlighting the holiday special’s narcissism: “How to turn Christmas into a masterclass in narcissism.” @ViQueenie
Then came the viral dancing videos. A throwback clip of Meghan twerking while nine months pregnant with Lilibet resurfaced, branded “bizarre” and “cringe” by outlets like the New York Post and Oli London on X. Another video from a Dodgers game showed her shrieking and celebrating in a way that left Harry looking “broken,” as podcaster @itslinklauren put it. @spotonwithlinkMeghan’s odd moments piled up: correcting friends on her name, awkward Paris Fashion Week appearances, and a “Duchess of Privacy” backlash over sharing private videos. facebook.com +1 Even her handwritten note to her ailing father drew fire for being “cringe” instead of reconciliatory. @spotonwithlink Megyn Kelly and Piers Morgan piled on, urging the couple to “go away for a very long time” after more “cringe-worthy videos.” By year’s end, her Netflix efforts were labeled “tone-deaf” and “ruined” by awkward moments, cementing 2025 as her annus horribilis of embarrassment. celebvibecentral.com +1Prince Harry’s Humiliations: Boos, Bad Jokes, and a Broken ImageNot to be outdone, Prince Harry had his fair share of facepalm moments in 2025, often portraying him as a man adrift – from court losses to comedy flops. His year kicked off with a devastating appeal dismissal for U.K. security, dubbed his “worst case scenario” by People magazine. people.com
But the real cringe came from his media appearances. A tongue-in-cheek sketch on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where Harry mocked Donald Trump with “king” jokes, backfired spectacularly – he was booed by the audience, with viewers calling it “cringeworthy” and an “embarrassment.” dailymail.co.uk +2 PR experts slammed it as a “comedy misfire” fueling claims he’s “chasing fame.” yahoo.comHarry’s “strangest moments” included family feud escalations, controversial accessories, and poorly timed trips that raised eyebrows. thelist.com +1
In joint blunders with Meghan, like their Dodgers video, he appeared “broken” and tormented. @spotonwithlink X users like @cara_pooh simply stated, “Prince Harry is so cringe.” @cara_pooh His Sentebale charity controversies and “entitled temper tantrum” on BBC over security didn’t help, with critics calling him a “global punchline.” Even his cameos in Meghan’s content, like an awkward kiss in her holiday special, screamed “ratings desperation.” @ViQueenieOutlets like Marca noted the couple’s reliance on titles while stumbling through scandals, with Harry’s “devastatingly embarrassing” Trump jabs sparking online fury. marca.com +1 By December, videos of him being booed off stage went viral, with YouTube channels calling him the “Prince of Cringe.”
The Verdict: Who Wins the Cringe Crown?In this royal rumble of awkwardness, both Harry and Meghan delivered knockout punches of embarrassment – but if we tally the viral disasters, public mockery, and sheer volume of “cringe” labels, Meghan edges out as 2025’s undisputed queen of cringe. @TheFabBookLover Her Netflix flops, dancing debacles, and self-promotional overreach dominated headlines and X feeds, with users like @TheFabBookLover declaring her the “2025 cringe award” winner. @TheFabBookLover Harry’s moments were painful, but often tied to Meghan’s orbit, painting him as the reluctant sidekick in her spotlight-grabbing saga.
As Page Six’s year-in-review put it, 2025 exposed the Sussexes’ “flops” and “viral scandals,” from pregnant twerking to reputation-souring strangeness. Kinsey Schofield reflected on their blunders, warning they’re alienating everyone. youtube.com In the end, 2025 wasn’t just cringe – it was a wake-up call. Will 2026 bring redemption, or more royal regrets? Stay tuned, because this saga is far from over.