Meghan Markle slammed over 'punch to royal family' in Archetypes podcast

Meghan Markle has been criticised by royal commentators for statements she made about ambition during the first episode of her Archetypes podcast released yesterday.

Markle, who interviewed tennis superstar Serena Williams for the podcast's inaugural episode, spoke about the double standards women face when they're considered "ambitious".

She told Williams she didn't "ever remember feeling the negative connotation behind the word 'ambitious' until I started dating my now husband".

"Apparently ambition is a terrible, terrible thing. For a woman that is, according to some," she added. "So, since I felt the negativity behind it, it's really hard to unfeel it."

The Daily Mail reports those remarks have grated some royal commentators.

Royal biographer Angela Levin said Markle's observations were "a smack in the face for Harry" and "a punch towards the royal family".

"[Markle] would still be a D-list celebrity if she had not married a prince. She aligns herself with them [podcast guests Serena Williams and Mariah Carey], but they have done brilliantly and overcome difficult childhoods, whereas she has married a prince and spent a lot of money," Levin said.

"She thought it was normal to be ambitious and only when she started dating Harry did she realise that it was not welcomed. My goodness, that is a smack at Harry and a punch to the royal family. Harry told her about life in the royal family, but she obviously did not want to listen.

"The royal family is about ambition in sense of duty and giving. It is not about getting to the top.

"Why is everything so hard for her? Because she won't accept where she is and make the best of it. She has had a nanny when most could not. She has said we will see the real her, well she needs to justify the ambition claim she is making."

Another royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, told the Daily Mail Markle's podcast remarks were "curious".

"There is surely nothing wrong in being ambitious and being royal, in fact the role positively encourages a member of the royal family to be ambitious to help those in need," he said.

"If you define ambition as 'a strong desire or determination to succeed', many royals are ambitious. You naturally want to succeed in your endeavours," he added.

"Essentially, however, this is a very negative view of women, we all know they have been breaking the glass ceiling for many years now. Her podcast, with a fascinating guest famous for her ambition on the tennis court, totally ignores this."

Markle's Archetypes podcast has been two years in the making after she and husband Prince Harry signed a lucrative deal with Spotify.

Markle has promised listeners that she is going to "be myself and talk and be unfiltered" over the course of the series.