A royal expert is speaking out this week to say that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are in a “petty transatlantic popularity contest” with Prince William and Kate Middleton.

“Whether William and Kate like it or not, they are now international players in a transatlantic popularity contest with their own flesh and blood,” Duncan Larcombe, author of “Prince Harry: The Inside Story,” told The Sun.

“Harry and Meghan have shown that modern royalty will only survive if it is absolutely at the cutting edge of social media and their profiles play into the narrative of the cult of the celebrity,” he added. “Which is a complete change from the era of Prince Philip. It was never about the royals, it was about the causes, never complain, never explain, ignore questions about you and make it about your causes.”

“Clearly William and Kate are quite clear they need to do more to sell themselves as a couple, family and personalities,” he added. “I think in the first few years of their marriage they were very formal. Things like their anniversary video, that is a deliberate charm offensive to sell them as personalities as well as people who are going to be the king and queen.”

This comes after Meghan and Harry made a series of shocking claims in their interview with Oprah Winfrey back in March. Among other things, Meghan claimed that she was hit with racism from within the royal family, claiming that an unnamed senior royal questioned how dark her then-unborn son Archie’s skin would be. Harry refused to name this family member, only saying that it was neither Queen Elizabeth nor Prince Philip. Meghan also claimed that she felt so isolated as a royal that she considered committing suicide at one point during her pregnancy.

The royal family responded two days later in a brief statement released by Buckingham Palace.

“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” the royal family said in a statement obtained by Fox News. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”