Why the coronavirus pandemic hasn't been good for Harry and Meghan's image

Harry and Meghan lost their chance to become popular again amid the coronavirus crisis, a royal author claims. Photo / Getty Images

Harry and Meghan are the only members of the royal family who have been called "losers" amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a royal expert.

Writer Phil Dampier said Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, have let slip the opportunity to boost their public image when they moved to Los Angeles in January, reports the Daily Mail.

He claimed the couple have not become as popular as the other royals have during the coronavirus lockdown, leaving them the "big losers".

Dampier told the Express: "I think the lockdown has been good image-wise for all of the royals except for Harry and Meghan."

"They are the big losers in this because they now look somewhat isolated and somewhat irrelevant in this country."

Dampier, author of Prince Philip: Wise Words and Golden Gaffes, said the couple's lack of presence during the crisis has resulted in their fans losing interest.

Meghan's friend Jessica Mulroney has come under fire for threatening a black influencer on Instagram. Photo / Getty Images

"They still might have a massive role to play internationally or in America but I think people just shrug their shoulders in the UK," he explained.

"They're just not really interested, whereas all the other royals have gone up in popularity and have also played their roles very well."

It comes days after Meghan's close friends told the Daily Mail that she is "absolutely mortified" after her best friend Jessica Mulroney threatened to sue a black influencer and says she can "no longer be associated with her".

"Meghan is absolutely mortified that she's been dragged into this complete mess. She said Jessica is in no way a racist, but the way she handled the situation was tone-deaf and heartbreaking," one of Meghan's close friends claimed.

Mulroney's reality show has since been cancelled and she's been fired from ABC's Good Morning America after she threatened to sue black influencer Sasha Exeter when the pair quarrelled about racism on Instagram.

"Meghan said friends reflect friends and because of what's at stake she can no longer be associated with Jessica, at least not in public. She has to do what she has to do in order to preserve her dignity and her own reputation," the source added.